The Summer My Mother Left Me
by lirio de amor
Summary: Mary Alice is left with the Cullen's for the summer by her mother. Will Alice be able to fit in with everyone at the Cullen house, or will it end in disaster? Will Alice's mother keep her promise? AU/AH.C/E, R/E,A/J/. Further details inside. Enjoy.
1. Prologue: Leaving a Shadow

**AN: So, I am super excited to be finally posting this story after working on it for quite some time. As of this moment, I am finished with chapters one through five with several other chapters partially written. However, I am only going to post about once a week. This gives me time to keep ahead to ensure that this story is complete in a timely fashion. **

**For those who are reading my story, Our Connected Familyrevised, I assure you that I am going to finish that story. It is just taking longer than I thought it would. I am stuck with it at the moment, so I am hoping that this will open up the creative flow a bit. **

**I do hope that you enjoy this story. It is AU/AH, so it is a bit different than I normally write. However, my writing style is similar. It is Esme/Carlisle, Rosalie/Emmett, and eventual Alice/Jasper. Edward and Bella are partial to one another, however, they are young in this story. Jacob. No Renesme as the moment. **

**I would like to thank all of my readers, and especially, ****Marrabelle****. If you have not read her stories, you should check them out, because they are amazing. **

**-ash**

**P.S. This chapter will be the prologue, however, since it is so short, I will be posting the first chapter shortly. **

**Enjoy! =)**

Prologue ~ Leaving a Shadow

Parents are never supposed to leave their kids. It is supposed to be like encoded within their genes as soon as they have a child.

But, my father left me and my mother when I was two years old.

He couldn't handle the stress of a family.

You would think that, that would be enough; that one event like this would be enough on a girl to last her entire life.

You would think.

When people say that everything happens for a reason…well, maybe they should have something really bad happen to them and see how they like it. See if they like the outcome. See if they still think that everything happens for a reason.

Then, I got hit with the final blow. My mother practically left me on the doorstep of strangers to go on her so-called vacation with her so-called boyfriend, James, for three months.

Three months. Are you kidding me? Like I didn't have enough on my plate but to have to worry about the strangers that my mother was making me live with for three months. So what if she knew them. That was beside the point. I did not know them.

The day she left, I could swear I saw her shadow linger longer than she did from the second story window of my new room. I stared at it for several minutes, then, when I closed my eyes and reopened them, it was gone, just like her.

But, like I said: they say everything happens for a reason.

And, then again, sometimes people get left in the shadows.


	2. Dropped Into An Unfamilar Vortex

**AN: After posting this chapter, I realized that I made a mistake and needed to fix it... Alice's room was not Esme's sewing room for those of you that have read it and realized the mistake...it has been changed in the story now. Sorry for the mistake...**

The sullen girl sitting in the unmoving vehicle sighed. Her shoulder length blue-black hair stuck out at odd angles because it had a mind of its own, and no one could tell it what to do. It was so different from her mother's long, curly, bright red orange hair, that it was almost funny.

The girl was small, much too small for her fourteen years, but her mother, who was actually quite tall, summed it up to her being born nearly three months early, after a horrific car crash that left her barren after she was born. In reality, the girl actually looked more like an eleven or twelve year-old than a fourteen year-old, but after fighting to stay alive for the first six months of her life, her mother was pretty sure that her size would never matter. Her attitude and fiery personality made up for it entirely.

Mary Alice Brandon, known to everyone as simply Alice, had gotten out of the front seat, and was leaned against her mother's ugly blue Honda, staring at the house in front of her. It was two stories, white, with dark green shutters. The yard was perfect, with flowers and everything. It was most definitely a step up from the shitty apartment that she and her mother lived in. In fact, you could probably fit their whole apartment in these peoples' living room.

"Mom, why can't I go with you? I don't even know these people." Alice asked, changing her stares from the house to glares at her mom, Victoria.

"I've already explained this to you a hundred times, Mary Alice. I am going to be gone three months; you have to be able to go to school while I am gone."

"Then when you get back, I have to change schools. This is so stupid. Why couldn't you have taken your stupid vacation at the beginning of the summer so that I could have gone back to my school at the beginning of the year?"

"I am not going to discuss this any farther, Mary Alice. Esme is coming out, please, at least act like you know how to behave so that she doesn't change her mind about keeping you."

"What a shame that would be." Alice said sarcastically.

"Stop it, Mary Alice!"

"Mom, stop pretending like you care. And stop calling me Mary Alice!" Alice hissed then stepped away from her mother because she knew that, given the chance, her mother would smack her for her mouthy remarks.

Alice looked up suddenly and stared at the woman who was walking towards them. She was tall and thin with blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of khaki slacks and a light pink polo shirt. It looked like something straight out of Desperate Housewives. Even her hair was perfect: wavy, shoulder length caramel brown locks, with not a strand out of place.

"Victoria! How have you been?" Esme Cullen asked Alice's mother, giving her a hug.

"I have been fine. Esme, this is my daughter, Mary Alice. She goes by Alice, though. For some godforsaken reason she does not like the name that I gave her." Esme looked at her oddly. She had not seen Victoria in years, but the woman in front of her looked frazzled, rushed.

"Well, then, Alice it is. How are you dear?"

Alice stared at her and rolled her eyes. She had to be kidding. Dear?

"Great." Alice muttered under her breath, turning around so that they couldn't see her face as she rolled her eyes, and so she didn't have to see their faces.

"Well, Okay…Alice, why don't you help get the rest of your stuff, because I have to catch a plane in two hours." Victoria said to her daughter, trying to keep her from saying anything else before she left.

"Yes, Alice, dear. Your room is ready and waiting for you. The things that you sent are in there, still in the boxes, waiting on you to put them away. Except for your computer; it has been set up, as requested." Esme said gently, staring at Alice interestingly.

* * *

Victoria and Esme stood outside of Victoria's rented car. Victoria had already said goodbye to her daughter, and had left her in her room to put all of her things away. She had walked out of the second story bedroom, that was Alice's, well aware of the fact that her daughter was not happy.

"Esme, I know that she seems like a bratty kid, but she really is a good one."

"Victoria, I have two boys and two girls; I also have my daughter's boyfriend and my nephew over all the time. Don't you think that I know how kids are?" Esme asked jokingly.

"I know, but I want her to behave while she is here. She has a tendency to be a little…overactive. She takes Ritalin for it, as you know, but she still tends to get in trouble for being overactive at school quite a bit."

"I am sure that after she settles in there are probably going to be some ups and downs. I would be worried if there weren't any ups and downs. But there will be nothing that Carlisle and I cannot handle." Esme told her friend.

"I suppose that you are right. Remember, her medicine and inhalers are in the bag that I gave you with all of the papers that she'll need: her school records, doctor records, and the ones giving you temporary guardianship of her. She carries an inhaler with her, but she has three, and I try to keep three filled at all times. I keep one on me at all times and when she is in school they keep one. She tends to forget to carry hers with her. If she has an attack, she needs it as quickly as possible. Her Ritalin is another case entirely. She takes one at lunch every day, which I give to her because she cannot remember to take them. During the school year she takes one at breakfast, and then the school gives her one at lunch time. Otherwise, she will be bouncing off the walls before school is out."

"Victoria, I can handle it; besides, Carlisle is a doctor. I promise, your baby is going to be safe with us."

"I know Esme. Esme…" Victoria stalled, getting into her car and stared back up at Esme.

"Don't let her forget that I love her…she's mad at me right now, but eventually she will understand. But, I love her...she needs to know that." Victoria said, then sat in the car.

Esme looked at her for a moment, then shut the door for her as she rolled the window down.

"See you in three months, Victoria."

"Yeah. . . three months. Bye." Victoria said, quickly starting her car and driving away.

Esme watched her drive away, ignoring the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Esme walked slowly back into the house.

Something about the way that Victoria had left was really bothering her, but she wasn't quite sure what. She quickly moved the thought out of her mind and headed up the stairs.

* * *

Esme knocked on the door, then waited a few seconds. She heard Alice tell her to come in, and then slowly opened the door. Esme looked around the room that she had set up for Alice. It was originally her Edward's room, but she had changed it a week after she had gotten the phone call from Victoria asking her if she would keep Alice for three months, moving Edward to a room on the third floor where his piano was located so that he could use it at his will. The phone call had come as a shock. She hadn't heard from Victoria since college, and had been even more shocked when she had been asked to take in her old friend's fourteen year old daughter for three months.

"Alice, how do you like your room?"

"It's fine. Thanks." Alice said, looking around the room. All of the furniture was made of a dark walnut: the bed, dresser, and desk. Three of the walls were dark pink, while the last wall was dark brown. The curtains and suede bedspread were light brown; the carpet a cream color. It looked like something Alice would have picked out herself.

"Your Mom told me that you liked pink."

"Yea, I do."

"Well, why don't you get unpacked before supper? Do you need any help?"

"No. I can get everything."

"Ok. Alice, I hope that you feel at home here. I hope that you feel like you can ask me or Carlisle for anything."

"Yes. I'll think about that."

"Alice, I am going to start supper; Carlisle and the boys will all be home soon, so you can meet them at supper. Try to unpack everything so that we can store the boxes after supper."

"Ok." Alice said as she watched Esme leave her new room.

Alice looked around the room and at the boxes that were stacked against the farthest wall. Fifteen boxes. All of her stuff had been sent from the old apartment because her Mom had said they would find another one when she got back. She had put all of her stuff in storage.

Most of Alice's stuff had been sent early. Her computer was already set up on the desk. Her mother had marked the box that had held her computer so that it would be ready when she got here.

Alice slowly put everything else away like Esme had told her to do. She knew that within a week the room would look lived in, and there would be things on the floor. Clothes would be thrown haphazardly around the room, making it look like her closet had thrown up. She would probably even have a glass or two on her bedside table.

She just didn't want Esme to be mad at her before she had even met the rest of the family. Not that she really cared, but right now she didn't have the energy to argue with anyone.

It didn't take her long to put everything up, even though she did have a lot of stuff that had already been sent and plenty that she had brought with her. She unpacked her clothes, CDs, books, and stereo.

Esme had told her Mom that they had wireless internet in their house, so she turned her computer on and got on the internet, checking her mail quickly. That was when she heard a child cry out. She looked towards her door, startled. She got up and walked towards the cry.

She followed the cry into a soft yellow and pink room, and saw a small child in s toddler bed.

This might not be too bad if she got to play with a kid.

* * *

Esme heard Bella crying and started up the stairs. When Esme was halfway up the stairs, Bella stopped. That was unusual. Bella very rarely ever stopped crying until she watched her mother walk into her room to comfort her.

When she got to Bella's room, Esme was surprised to see Alice playing on the floor with Bella. The fourteen year old girl, with so much attitude, was gone. The girl that was playing with Bella actually looked happy. She looked so young, without the angry lines on her face. She was quietly talking to Bella as they put blocks together on the floor. Bella was smiling at Leah, giggling even.

"She likes you, Alice." Esme said. Alice jumped and slid away from Bella.

"I'm sorry. She was crying. I came to see what it was."

"What do you mean? What it was? Did your mother not tell you that Carlisle and I had a small child? Bella is only three years old; she is our youngest."

"No. Mom didn't tell me anything, except that I was going to live with you for three months. Mom and I don't talk much." Alice replied, never looking up from the floor.

"Oh, well, in that case, Carlisle and I have Bella, whom was a delightful surprise because we thought we could not have any more children; and, then we have Rosalie who is 16, Edward, who is 8, and Jacob who is 13. Edward and Jacob were both adopted. We also have two frequent visitors, Rosalie's boyfriend, Emmett, and my nephew Jasper. Emmet is 17 and Jasper is 15."

"Okay." Alice said, standing up and dusting of the non-existent lint off of her pants, "I am going to my room."

Alice walked past Esme. Already her hard demeanor had returned.

Esme had a feeling that she was going to have many ups and downs with her new surrogate child in the months to come.

Esme went over to Bella and picked her up.

"Why don't we go watch television in the living room while Mommy fixes supper, BellaBug?" Esme said, ticking her baby.

Bella laughed.

"K, Mommy!" She shrieked in a fit of baby laughter that was music to Esme's ears.

* * *

Esme was at the counter working on hamburgers and turkey burgers for supper when Carlisle Cullen walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Carlisle kissed Esme lightly on her neck, and then nuzzled her neck with his nose and slowly licked her neck, knowing that if one of the kids walked in they would not be able to see what he was doing. Esme let out a giggle.

Carlisle, with his brilliant blue eyes and dazzling blonde hair, was the love of his wife's life. She loved him more than she thought was possible to love a man, and would do anything for him, as he would for her.

"Gah! Mom! Dad! Why ya gotta kiss like that?" Edward Cullen whined as he walked, sulking, into the kitchen and sat at the ten person kitchen table. He threw his baseball glove on the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

Edward had a halo of bronze hair around his head and bright blue and gold eyes to match. He was a mischievous little boy that was often stuck on his Mama's hip unless she was getting on to him. Then he would try to hide in his father's study. He still thought that his mother was oblivious to the fact that he hid in there, even after so many years.

Esme passed Carlisle a look that asked, 'Are we still having trouble accepting the new addition to our family?'

Carlisle nodded slightly; just enough that his wife could see his action, but not their son.

"Edward, sweetie, what is wrong?" Esme asked. As if she didn't already know.

"Nuthin." Edward mumbled. Esme stepped away from Carlisle and looked down at her son.

"Edward Anthony, you can try to lie to a lot of people, but you know better than to do so to me. You have never once been able to lie to me, why try? Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong." Esme told her youngest son.

Edward looked up at her and sighed.

"You gave her my room." He said, almost too quietly for Esme to hear it.

It was Esme's turn to sigh. They had been back and forth over this situation with Edward several times, but apparently they were going to have to do it one more time.

Esme walked over to the table and pulled a chair up close to Edwards.

"Sweetheart, look at me. We have talked about this. The only other room in the house that is big enough to be a bedroom is the one with your piano in it. Now, would you rather her be in there, where you would have to get her permission to play your piano, or would you rather be able to play it whenever you like?" Esme asked the little boy.

He sat there for a minute. This surprised Esme. Edward loved his piano, and when they had bought it for him two years before, he had slept beside it for nearly a month.

"Edward Anthony, answer your mother." Carlisle said softly, also a little surprised that he was taking so long to answer.

Edward looked up at his dad and sighed.

"I am excited about getting a new room."

"Then honey, what is wrong?" Esme asked him, taking his small hands in hers.

"Mommmmm…You don't have to share a room with Jacob while you are fixing that room up! Jacob is always playing football and doesn't always take a shower. He smells like a wet dog! His room is never clean…"

"Edward! Jacob is your brother and I will not have you talking about him like that." Esme scolded lightly, "I know that you like things a little cleaner than Jacob does. But it is only for a few days. I have been working on your room, and you will probably get to move into it the day after tomorrow." Esme finished.

Edward looked up at her, trying hard not to cry. But, tears glistened in his eyes, so he just nodded and looked down at the floor.

"Edward, two more nights. Then you will have your room. But you will get along with your brother. Understood?" Esme asked him. He nodded.

"Edward, why don't you go upstairs and get ready for supper. Your mother and I will finish cooking, and everyone else should be here soon." Carlisle interjected. His son sometimes had the tendency to lose his temper, and he knew that his wife had already had a long day.

"Okay, Dad." Edward said, getting up and running up the stairs.

"Walk, Edward!" Esme yelled towards the stairs.

Before she could move back over to the food she was preparing, Carlisle snaked his arms back around her waist.

She twisted in his arms and moved around to face him; she snaked her own hands around his neck and planted her lips firmly on his.

"Mom…Dad…get a room!" Jacob hollered as he walked in the house. He laughed when his parents both turned towards him and raised their eyebrows.

"Shut up dog breath!" Rosalie said, following her brother into the house. She chunked her car keys on the table and her book bag by the door.

"Jacob, Rosalie…" Carlisle warned. Jacob looked down, but Rosalie stood her ground.

Rosalie had the same blue eyes that her father had and wavy blonde hair that reached her bum. She was tall and thin, and in the eyes of everyone, beautiful. She was their first biological child, and was very spoiled. Her problem was that she had her father twisted around her fingers like a yo-yo string, and knew exactly how to dangle him around when she wanted something.

Which was probably one of the reasons that she thought she would get away with failing her Algebra class, however, it had only gotten her sent to summer school, which she was still not happy about. But, as both her parents had put it, how could a child receive all A's in every subject, and then receive an F for the first time in her school career?

"Daddy…you don't know what he did!" Rosalie batted her eyelashes, and stuck her bottom lip out a little.

Esme stifled a laugh and stepped between her husband and daughter.

"Rosalie, we are not even going there…" Esme sniffed the air and winced.

Yes. She knew what Edward was talking about now. She also knew what Rosalie was going to say.

"Jacob, honey, you need to go and wait in your father's study. He needs to talk to you about something." Esme said.

Jacob ran upstairs without ever looking at his mother or father; he simply wanted to get away from his sister before she told on him for trying to blackmail her on the way home. She had gotten even madder when he threatened to do something to her car. Rosalie was funny about her car, and had already been mad that she had to wait for him to get done with football practice before she could go home from Summer School.

But, Jacob had seen her making out with Emmett…quite passionately…and their parents were unaware that they did stuff like that in public. They had been dating for a year, and before that had been best friends, but everyone knew that it was not going to go over well if they were caught making out on school property.

Back downstairs Esme turned to look at her daughter.

"Okay, Rosalie, I know what the problem is. Edward has already complained about it. Your brother is just going through a change and probably does not even realize it yet."

"Mom, how can he NOT realize that smell?" Rosalie wailed. Carlisle took that as his cue to leave and started to head towards his study to discuss his oldest son's oncoming puberty. It would be better than staying in the kitchen with his wife and daughter while they discussed things of such matter…whether he was a doctor or not, those type of conversations never went well with his daughter.

"Rosalie, everyone handles puberty differently. Need I remind you of two years ago?" Esme asked, turning towards the counter to start making the burgers that had been left.

"Mom. That is so not the same!" Rosalie hissed, slightly embarrassed that her Mom would even bring that up.

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen! It was no different, that I can promise you." Esme said with a small

Rosalie sat down at the table and glanced at her Mom, thinking about her own experience two years before.

She had been taught all about the things girls go through when puberty strikes. Esme had talked to her about them from her tenth birthday on, and if she ever had a question she knew that she could talk to either one of her parents. However, when the fateful day arrived that Rosalie Lillian Cullen would become a woman, she had thought she was actually dying. She had been at school, and had become hysterical. The school had had to call Esme to come and get her, because she would not tell them what was wrong with her.

Esme laughed.

"One day you will realize that I am often right. Now, why don't you come and help me. I have to get supper finished, and I am sure that Alice is probably wondering what is taking so long for supper to be ready."

"Oh! Mom… I'm sorry. I forgot that she was going to be here when I got home from picking up Jacob from football practice!"

Esme smiled at her daughter. Rosalie had also had mixed emotions about Alice coming to stay with them, but for a completely other reason than Edward. In fact, even when Bella had been born, and everyone had found out that she was a girl, not a boy, Rosalie had cried. She had been the only daughter of Carlisle and Esme for eleven, nearly twelve years at the time; she sure didn't want to share the title with a baby. Now, though, Rosalie loved Bella and usually watched her when her parents needed her too.

"Well, give her a little space, okay? I have a feeling that she might have a little bit of trouble adjusting to life in our house."

"Why?" Rosalie asked.

Esme glanced at the stairs, then back at Rosalie.

"She is not used to living with this many people, nor living as you do."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked her mother, generally interested in the reasons this strange girl could have for not adjusting well to her family.

"You live a very structured life, Rosalie. All kids your age are not used to it."

Rosalie stood there for a minute and thought. Then she glanced back at her Mom.

Then she laughed.

"Oh! You mean that she isn't used to living with the rules that you and dad make us follow. Or, rather, you think we fol…um…" Rosalie's eyes grew twice their normal size.

Esme raised her eyebrows.

"That you think we should follow so that we do not make huge mistakes that some teenagers make." Rosalie said with a bright smile.

Good save you little angelic looking brat, Esme thought happily. She felt herself smile, though she tried not to. Esme loved her children more than anything in the world. Even if they did often have a way of finding trouble, she could not imagine it any other way.

"Rosalie, dear, why don't you go introduce yourself to Alice? And, get Bella ready for supper, please. I am already running late, and am I correct in thinking that Emmett will be here for supper?"

Rosalie blushed before saying anything.

"Um, yea. He will be here. I will go meet her and get Bella ready for supper." Rosalie said, practically running for the stairs.

Something was definitely up with that, but at the moment, Esme knew that she was going to have to let it slide.


	3. Meeting the Family

**AN: So, here we go, chapter two! I know, it is two days early, but I may not be able to get near a computer this week. So, I decided I would go ahead and be nice and not wait until after Saturday. I hope that you like this chapter...Let me know what you think...and ENJOY...=)**

Chapter Two: Meeting the Family

Alice could hear all of the commotion downstairs, but could care less. She could already tell that her medicine was wearing off, and she was becoming restless. It was this room. She felt trapped in it. It was not because the room was small. It was simply because there were four walls and the door was shut that Alice felt like a mouse trapped in a cage.

Soon, however, there was knocking at her door. Alice just stood there. Silent. Still. Semi-Steady.

It did not make whoever was on the other side of the door disappear though, because the door opened up even though Alice did not answer.

In walked a blonde haired, blue eyed goddess. Alice stepped back quickly and stared up at her.

"What are you staring at? I am Rosalie. I came to introduce myself to you, upon my mother's request, and to get her to stop asking me questions before I incriminated myself. She is a sneaky woman, my mother. Though, you will surely figure that out soon enough. She told me that you had arrived while I was at school, and then waiting on the Dog to get out of practice. Daddy had to go and pick up Eddie on his way home from the hospital. So, everyone is home now." Rosalie told Alice.

Alice, in turn, continued to stare at her. Rosalie was 5'9, making her about nine inches taller than Alice. Alice felt small in Rosalie's very presence, let alone the fact that she hovered over her.

"So, are you going to tell me about yourself or just stand there?" Rosalie asked her, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot impatiently.

Alice stared at her, but did finally start to talk.

"I am Mary Alice. Do not call me Mary, call me Alice. My mother dropped me off here so that she could have one on one time with her stupid boyfriend. I will be here for three months. If my mother finds it suitable to be on time, which she very rarely ever does. I was not even aware that Esme and Carlisle Cullen had children until about two hours ago when Esme informed me of that fact." Alice told her, moving her hands sporadically as she talked.

She had been stuck in the room far too long, and her energy was beginning to build up inside of her.

Rosalie stepped back and looked at her for a moment.

"Hmm, Alice it is. I have a feeling that you and I will get along just fine." Rosalie said, already sensing that Alice was not afraid to voice her opinion when it was deemed necessary. Rosalie automatically liked that about her.

"Oh, no worries, Rosalie Cullen. I knew the minute that you walked in my room that we would get along just fine." Alice told her, then turned around and walked towards her window.

Alice had always had a way of reading people, and knew instantly whether or not she would get along with them or not. Rosalie had been easy to read. She figured that they would probably have their ups and downs, but they would still get on just fine.

"So, Alice, is there anything you wanna know?" Rosalie asked, gracefully plopping down on the bed and crossing her legs. Alice was positive that she had never seen anyone sit down as Rosalie just had.

Alice looked at her, and shrugged.

"I don't know. The other's…what are they like? I met the baby…but Esme said that there are two more here, and then a nephew and your boyfriend."

"Oh yea. Let's see. Emmett is my boyfriend. He is always around. He will probably scare you when you first see him, but, I mean, it is because you are so tiny, and he is anything but tiny. I mean, no offense, but you look like you are Edwards age, and he is only eight, soon to be nine."

Alice ignored that little tidbit. She was used to being told that. She was only 4'11 ½" , and she would probably not grow anymore. But, her size did not bother her. In fact, she liked it. She felt it gave her an edge.

"Edward is the youngest boy. He plays the piano, and, although Mom told us not to say anything, this was his room. He is still getting over the fact that you are taking it over. But he will get over it. He is Moms baby, and he thinks that no one else should get as much attention from her as he does. I don't even think that he realizes that Mom gives all of equal attention. But, whatever, he just tends to be selfish sometimes."

"He is only eight though." Alice said. Rosalie scoffed at her response.

"Just wait. You will see what I am talking about. He is such a nosy little brother. I mean, I love the kid to death, but he and Jacob both are so nosy! If they can find a way to get me in trouble, they will. So, I would watch out for them. They are sneaky little devils."

"Aren't all guys." Alice said with a slight laugh. She looked up at Rosalie and smiled.

"Yea. Jacob is the other one. He is thirteen. We call him Dog, but don't let Mom hear you. Even his football teammates call him Dog. Our mother, however, believes that people should be called by their given names. So, whatever you do, definitely do not call him Wet Dog. That one gets us in trouble every time." Rosalie said, and laughed lightly.

"I think that I will just call him Jacob."

"You should also know that Jacob likes to play pranks. You will be subjected to them. I promise. Then there is Jasper. He is Mom's nephew, and he is always around because my Aunt Kate is often out of town. He even has his own room here. He is quiet. You will probably get along with him quite well. Most people do." Rosalie told Alice. Alice just nodded.

"Supper is ready!" Esme hollered from downstairs. Rosalie looked at Alice.

"Come on, Mom will only tell us once. I am sure that she and Dad will go over the 'Cullen Family Rules' before the day is over. There aren't a lot, but they expect them to be followed. But, don't be nervous. The family is rambunctious, but you will get used to everything." Rosalie finished and jumped off the bed gracefully.

"Rosalie!" Esme said from the bottom of the steps.

Instantly the look on her face changed to one of slight horror.

"I am getting her ready now Mom!" Rosalie yelled as she ran out of the room and down the stairs to get Bella, whom she had forgotten to get ready, from the living room.

Alice just watched her leave, and smiled. It might not be so bad living here.

* * *

Esme watched as her family hurried to the table. She watched as Rosalie ran into the living room, where Bella was watching television, and grabbed her up so that she could wash her hands and bring her to the table.

Jacob ran down soon after, fresh from a shower. He ran over to Esme and threw his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

"Mom, you shoulda jus told me I smelled!"

Esme had to stifle a laugh and patted her son affectionately on the back.

"Then next time I will." She whispered back. He threw his head back in laughter and then ran over to his spot at the table.

Like clockwork, Emmet, with his curly brown hair and muscular body, walked through the door and sat at his own seat. He was very much a son to Carlisle and Esme Cullen. They had accepted him the minute Rosalie had come home, at the age of two and a half, and informed them that one day she would marry that 'Emmybear boy'.

Next in was little Edward. He was indeed still sulking. But, Esme knew that he would be over it soon enough, so she let him be.

Carlisle, Rosalie, and Bella all came in at the same time. Bella was laughing as Carlisle tickled her; Rosalie was sliding into her seat beside Emmett, trying to catch a kiss before her mother noticed her. Esme, however, had eyes in the back of her head and turned around to send a look towards the two lovebirds that said don't even think about it. They sprung apart instantly, choosing instead to hold hands under the table, hopefully away from the prying eyes of her mother.

The only one missing now was Alice. Esme didn't have to wait long. Alice peeped around the corner less than five seconds later.

"Alice, dear, please come have a seat between me and Edward." Esme told her. Without her saying so, Alice knew that this would be her permanent seat at the table.

Alice sat down on the edge of her seat, her legs jumping up and down at ninety miles an hour.

"Hello Alice. I am Carlisle." He told the small girl. By this time, her legs were her shaking her entire body.

"Hello." Alice told him with a brilliant smile. She knew that she was going to get on just fine with these people eventually.

"Everyone, introduce yourselves." Esme told them.

"I am Emmett!"

"Jacob."

"Edward."

They all knew that Emmett wanted nothing more than to eat, that afterwards he would introduce himself properly. Jacob was hungry as well. Edward would just have to let her grow on him.

"Okay kids, let's eat." Carlisle said. He, too, was starving after a long day at the hospital.

Alice looked at the table. They were all passing food to one another. Alice's legs were still going strong, but she had yet to reach for anything to fill her plate.

She felt something on her leg, and looked town. Esme's hand was on her lap. Silently, she slowed down the rapid movement of Alice's legs. Alice looked up at Esme, who smiled at her.

"Eat, dear. After supper, Carlisle and I would like to speak with you about your stay with us." Esme told her quietly.

"Okay." Alice said, then looked at her plate. Esme had already placed food on it. Esme knew that if the plates of food went around the table without Alice getting anything, it would be gone, so she had, without Alice realizing it, already put the food on her plate.

"Thanks." Alice mumbled. Esme patted her leg and encouraged her to eat. Alice looked at her plate and did as she was bid.

Supper had been uneventful. The only thing that had occurred during supper was Alice's constant kicking, which she seemed to be unaware of. Every time that Alice would begin to rapidly kick out her legs faster, Esme would silently place her hand on her leg to still it, without anyone being the wiser.

As soon as supper had been cleared and everything had been put away, Alice remained seated at the table. Rosalie winked at her, then went into the kitchen with Emmett to wash the dishes. It was a chore she did not mind doing… if Emmett was there with her.

Edward went to play his piano, and Jacob took Bella into her room to play with her while their parents talked o Alice.

Alice was now, not only full of unleashed energy, but was also beginning to get nervous. Her fidgeting was becoming consistently more rapid.

"Alice, dear, would you mind coming into the living room with Carlisle and I?" Esme said, noticing once again that Alice's leg was jumping. In fact, her entire body was fidgeting around. Esme silently wondered if she had taken her medicine at all that day.

"Yea. I don't mind." Alice said, getting up. She was happy to be able to move around. Dinner had felt like it lasted hours to her.

Carlisle and Esme both noticed that Alice was quick to get up, and practically ran into the living room. Once there, she walked around the room and looked at everything. There were several bookcases, though two of them were full of nothing but DVDs, ranging from chick flicks and horror movies to Baby Einstein.

"Alice, would you please come sit?" Carlisle asked.

Alice turned and looked at both adults. Esme was sitting on the couch and Carlisle was standing by a coffee table.

"I would rather stand. I just had to sit at the table for an hour. I need to move around." Alice told him then turned around to look at the rest of the living room.

"Alice, please come sit down beside me. After we have talked, you may look around." Esme told her softly, yet in a way that told her that she wanted her to obey. It was a mother's voice; that was for sure.

Alice slowly went over to the couch and sat down as far away from Esme as she could. But, then she realized that that forced her to be closer to Carlisle. Picking what she thought was the lesser of two evils, she scooted back towards Esme.

None of this went unnoticed by either of the adults watching her.

What they did not know, however, was the Mary Alice Brandon grew up in a home where physical affections were not given freely. Hugs and other endearments were seldom given by Victoria, let alone praise and encouragement. Alice was also not used to men, except for James, whom she detested. He was an ignorant bastard that had taken her mother away from her.

Whether she always agreed with her mother or not, she was still the only one that she had. She had kept her alive for fourteen years, so she was a pretty good mom, all things considering.

"Alice, dear, you are going to be staying here for at least three months. So, Carlisle and I believe that it is our job to assure you that while you are here, you will be well cared for, safe, fed, and clothed. You will not want for anything. There are, however, rules that we expect our children to follow. You will be no different. We already consider you one of ours. Emmett and Jasper are even subjected to the same rules. We expect you to behave, no matter what the circumstances." Esme told Alice.

Alice was trying to pay attention. But, she had so much information in her head that it slightly frustrated her that they were trying to cram in more. She felt overloaded.

"Esme, I understand that there are rules that I must follow. I am fourteen, not stupid." Alice smarted off. Esme looked at Carlisle, then at Alice. Alice's legs were jumping up and down, and her hands were moving with every word that she spoke.

Alice flinched when Carlisle moved to the coffee table and sat down on it, directly in front of her. He reached for her hands, and she froze. Carlisle was watching her intently, never losing her eyes.

"Alice, are you nervous? Maybe a little anxious?" Carlisle asked her, unconsciously checking her pulse.

"No." She whispered. Carlisle looked down at her wrist then looked up to study her face more intently.

"Alice, your pulse is a little fast. Are you sure you are not feeling anxious?"

"I am sure." She said, trying to pull out of his grasp, to no avail.

"Alice, I understand that you are going through a big change right now, and if you need anything, all you have to do is ask. That includes medical attention. Esme tells me that you are asthmatic and that you are on Ritalin for hyperactivity. Have you had your medicine today?" Carlisle asked her.

She hung her head, and did not look at either of the adults around her.

"It has been a long day; can I please go to my room?"Alice asked them, simply wanting one of them to give the okay.

"Alice, we really need to discuss the rules first." Carlisle said. Alice stiffened up. This did not go unnoticed by Esme.

"Alice, would you be more comfortable if you and I talked tomorrow after you got a good nights' sleep? I am sure that you are tired." Esme said, sending Carlisle a look that said, 'We need to let it slide this time, and you and I need to talk.' Carlisle nodded slightly and got up from the coffee table.

"I will go get the kids ready for bed, Esme." Carlisle said, patting Alice on her shoulder and leaving the room.

Finally, Alice began to relax a little when Esme got up.

"Alice, sweetheart, let's go up to your room so that you can get ready for bed, and I can show you where everything is."

Alice practically ran up the steps to her new room. Esme sighed at the sight of one of the children running up the stairs. She knew that the next day she was going to have to sit down and talk to Alice. She also knew that the best time for that talk was probably going to be after she had had a good nights' sleep.

Esme followed her into her room and looked around. Everything looked to have a place, which pleased Esme. Cleanliness was a big thing in her home, and she constantly had to get on to both Rosalie and Jacob about their rooms; Rosalie because she tended to throw clothes on the floor instead of hanging them on hangers, and Jacob for general messiness.

"Okay, Alice, the bathroom that you will share with Rosalie is across the hall. If you need anything, Rosalie's bedroom is to your right. The boys are all on the third floor now, and they have their own bathroom. Unless there is an emergency, they will always use their own. Carlisle's study is on the third floor, and our bedroom is at the end of this hallway. If any of the doors are shut to anyone's bedroom, please knock before entering. That is a rule that everyone must follow. If you need anything, please let me know. Okay?" Esme asked her gently. She could tell that Alice was beginning to overload with all of the information that she had been given over the last few hours.

"Okay." Alice said, and sat down on her bed.

Alice watched Esme walked towards the door and turn around.

"Alice, I hope that you are happy here. I hope that you will grow to love us as your family, no matter how short a time you are with us." She said and walked out of the door, quietly shutting the it behind her.


	4. Revenge of the Piano Player

**AN: Unfortunately, I am not doing to have a computer for a while, so I am updating today instead of later this week. I am hoping that I will have another update by next week. Please let me know what you think, because those reviews help the creativity flow. Otherwise, I feel as if no one is enjoying the story... then what is the point of wasting my time on this story when I could write something else? **

**I hope that you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. **

**Ash**

Chapter Three: The Revenge of the Piano Player

The next morning, Edward was still not very happy about losing his room to Alice. This was apparent when he got up for breakfast, and told his Mom that he didn't care what she cooked.

Edward was a finicky eater, and for him to say this surprised Esme a great deal.

"I am going to finish your room today, Edward, stop pouting."

"I ain't pouting." Edward replied, his bottom lip protruding slightly. Esme sighed and bent down to whisper in his ear.

"Edward, if you pout, I will be unable to finish your room today because you and I will have to sit down and have a little talk about your behavior. However, if you can behave, I might be able to guarantee that you will sleep in your new room tonight. Understand?" Esme asked her young son, her right arm wrapped around his shoulders, and her left laying gently on his left.

Edward sighed deeply. He nodded solemnly and grabbed an apple to take up the stairs to his piano.

He had things to do today. Things that did not involve his mother, that was for sure.

Esme, on the other hand, watched her son walk up the stairs and sighed. She had known that it was not going to be an easy transition for any of the children, accepting another child in their family, no matter what length of time she was going to be there. But, she had expected Edward to be the most accepting, even though he had been the one that had to give up his room.

She had thought that he would like to move from his room into the new one because his piano was in the new room on the third floor. He was old enough now that he didn't have to be on the second floor with his parents, and that was another thing that she had thought would excite him.

She had been wrong, though she expected him to change his mind soon enough.

* * *

Later, Alice woke up slightly confused by her surroundings. These walls were not hers. The bed she was lying in was not hers. Then she remembered. Her mother had dropped her off into a hole in the middle of nowhere yesterday. So, these things were hers. These walls were hers. For the time being it was, anyways.

And, today was her first real day with the Cullen's.

Then, suddenly, there was a subtle knock at the door and shortly afterwards, the door opened.

It was Esme. She had on old clothes, but still looked like she walked straight off the scenes of Desperate Housewives, or Leave It to Beaver. Even the dots of blue and white paint on her arms and clothes did not take away from her looks. She was just naturally beautiful. Actually, Alice thought, everyone in this house was naturally beautiful. Oddly, even the boys were.

"Good, you are up. Normally, I would have gotten you up hours ago, but I know that yesterday was a long and difficult day for you." She said softly, walking into the room and sitting on the edge of Alice's bed. Alice moved back a little, then stilled.

Alice stared at her for a few minutes, then her clock, and then back at Esme.

"Why would you have got me up on a normal day? I mean, I know that it is 12:07. But, I sleep late all the time because I usually go to bed late." Alice told Esme matter of factly.

Esme looked at the small girl lying in the bed. It was still hard for her to believe that she was fourteen years old. She looked, at the oldest, around eleven. Especially, lying in her bed with no makeup on, and her hair at all angles.

"Alice, you and I will talk about it over lunch. It will just be the two of us, as I have just laid Bella down for a nap and everyone else has eaten. So, why don't you brush your teeth, wash your face, and then come downstairs." Esme said.

Esme didn't wait for an answer. She went straight downstairs. This pretty much told Alice that when Esme had asked her to come downstairs, it had not been a question, but a demand.

* * *

Edward heard his mom talking to Alice and laughed. Even at eight, he knew exactly how not to push his parent's buttons. Apparently, Alice was going to have to learn the hard way. Of course, if she was anything like his older sister, Rosalie, then all she would have to worry about was his Mom. Dad would be no problem at all.

Like her sleeping late. Edward couldn't believe that his mom had let her sleep late at all, let alone until past noon. The only time they got to sleep past 8:30 was when they were sick. Not that he ever wanted to sleep that late. Edward was always up early. But Rosalie had told him that one day he would understand what it was like to want to sleep late.

Edward just snorted to himself as he walked into his new room and sat down at his piano, throwing his half eaten apple from earlier in the waste basket. He was also pleased to see that his mom really was close to finished with his room. He was tired of staying in Jacob's room. He really hadn't understood why he couldn't sleep in Jasper's room, but his parents had told him that it would not be fair to disrespect Jasper's privacy. Whatever, Edward thought, Jasper was probably the most private person ever, but it really wasn't his house. He was just his stupid cousin. He only lived here part time anyways!

Of course, he knew that if he said that out loud he would be in serious trouble. Because, even Edward knew, deep down, that this house was, in fact, just as much Jasper's home as anyone else's.

Then Edward thought about his parents and their rules. They had a million rules.

His parents sleep rule was that at least eight hours of sleep was needed in order for everyone to function properly, even though they had said in the past that they knew exactly how many hours of sleep each of their children needed in order for them to behave the way they were supposed to, and not be cranky. The latest the older kids were allowed to stay up, however, was 12:00 during the summer, and 10:00 during the school year. This never changed, unless someone didn't get their homework done like they were supposed to, and that usually ended with a lecture anyways.

A few months ago, Rosalie had tried to get their parents to change their minds about her bed time, saying that it was unfair for them to make her go to bed so early.

She had ended up grounded because she was not one to be able to keep her temper in check. Her father probably would have caved had she asked him by himself because she had him wrapped around her fingers. Their mother had told Rosalie, in no uncertain terms, that she couldn't have a later bedtime or curfew because she had to have at least those eight hours, though she really needed nine.

She hadn't thought about just asking their dad though, and had asked both of the parental figures together one morning after breakfast. She had quickly been shot down from her hopes of a later curfew and bedtime.

She would have been fine, but Edward and Jacob had heard the discussion and had sat on the top of the stairs to mess with her when she started up the stairs.

She had ended up being grounded for two weeks when she told them to both go to hell. Language was another rule in the Cullen house. You did not curse in the house, and the parents had better not find out that you had been cussing anywhere else, because that would lead to trouble just as if you had been at home in front of them.

That had not gone over well with their parents, thought the boys had gotten duly chastised for teasing Rosalie. But, she had initially been grounded for those two weeks. She had been grounded another week when she had stayed up late, and had fallen asleep in class the next day. It had been three long weeks for everyone in the house; that was for sure.

Edward looked at his piano and played a few notes. Then he had a plan.

He may have had to give up his room, but he didn't have to like it.

He also knew exactly what made girls irritated.

And that was when you messed with their stuff.

* * *

Alice could not believe what she had just been told.

Bedtime. She had a friggin' bedtime. She had never had a bedtime. Ever.

Not only that, but her curfew was 8:30 because she was only fourteen. Apparently, they had a stupid system here. She, Jacob, Rosalie, and Jasper when he was there, all had curfews because they were old enough to leave the house without an adult. Her and Jacob had to be home by 8:30, but Rosalie and Jasper, who was two years older than Alice and two and a half years older than Jacob, were apparently able to stay out until ten since it was the summer. It was a stupid rule, and Alice had to figure out how to lengthen that time.

Alice was also to follow basic, common sense rules. No running in the house, respect others, make your bed when you get up, make sure your room is clean., no fighting.

Alice was slowly losing the ability to listen to the endless list of rules that Esme was telling her. She didn't think that her caregiver was ever going to stop talking.

"Alice, honey, do you have any questions?" Esme asked her, well aware of the fact that Alice had stopped paying attention several moments prior.

"No."

"Well, if you do have any, at any time, please ask me or Carlisle. We want you to feel comfortable asking us anything. You should feel free to talk to Rosalie or any of the kids, if you have any questions and we are not around. They know the rules just as well as we do." Esme laughed.

Duh, Alice thought. They are the ones that have to follow them, not you. She kept her opinions to herself though.

"No worries, I will. Can I go back to my room now? I want to send my friends back home an email." It was a lie, Alice didn't really make friends that easily. She had been labeled as _weird_ and _odd_ very early in life. The fact that she was smaller and looked younger than those her age had also often worked against her.

But, when Alice made friends, they knew after a few weeks that she wasn't like them. She always knew things, random little things that set them apart.

She knew who she would and would not be friends with, and in turn, she made few. Because, most of the time that she would not hang out with people that she had a bad vibe from, which also meant that she was unable to hang out with the people with good vibes, as they all tended to hang out together.

She was used to it though. She and her mother lived most of the time like nomads, moving from one place to another every year, sometimes even sooner than that. That didn't leave very much time for friends.

"Yes, Alice, you may go. I hope that soon you will not think that you have to stay in your room all the time. We do plenty of things during the summer that I believe you might enjoy. We ride bikes, go swimming, and we will more than likely go camping soon. We really want to allow you to become better acquainted with living here first though."

"Um…ok." Alice said, then got up quickly from the table and headed towards the stairs.

"Alice, wait." Esme called softly.

Alice turned around, her eyebrows raised.

"Your medicine." She said, her hand held out with the two small pills in the middle of her upturned palm.

Reluctantly, Alice took it from her hand, and then quickly went up the stairs, sliding them in her pocket as she went.

* * *

Edward waited patiently for Alice to come up the stairs and see her room now. He laughed a little inside, but knew that he had to be quiet if he didn't want to be caught.

* * *

The minute Alice walked into her room, she was stunned.

It was nothing like she had left it. In fact, nothing was as she had left it. Her clothes, once folded or hung, were all over her room.

Her bed had been destroyed, covers strewn all over the floor. Her makeup was knocked off the top or her dresser.

A picture of her mother and her had devil horns drawn on it.

Everything else would have been fine. But why did whoever did this have to draw on the picture of her and her mom?

Alice did the only thing she knew to do.

* * *

Edward had awaited Alice's reaction in anticipation. He expected screams and demands to go home. Demands of knowledge about her room. Who had done this to her room?

But, that is not what he heard.

He felt oddly confident.

Until he heard her slam her door shut, lean against it, and cry.

Then, at that moment, Edward definitely felt more horrible than he had ever felt before..


	5. The Eyes of a Green Eyed God

Chapter Four: The Eyes of a Green Eyed God

Alice spent the rest of the day in her room, crying. If anyone realized it, they said nothing. Alice doubted that they could hear her though because she was a quiet crier for the most part. It didn't make it any easier though.

After she had sat against her door and cried for a while, she got up and started to clean up the huge mess that had once been her room. She had only been there a day; she did not want to get into trouble already for a disorderly living area. Besides that, she was full of pent up energy and knew that she might as well do something about it.

What she really wanted to do was shop. Alice loved to shop. Her mother had given her a bit of money before she had left, and, although she had told her to not ask for anymore, she knew it was plenty enough to go on one good shopping trip. Even if she had only been here for a day. It would make her feel better, anyways.

Alice suddenly remembered that Esme had given her her medicine and then told her to take her it. She took it out of her pocket, and threw it in the waste basket by her bed.

It had been nearly a week since Alice had taken her Ritalin, and she definitely had noticed a difference. Her energy was nearly endless, and her body was always moving. She couldn't pay attention for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time.

Alice didn't really know why she had stopped taking her meds, she just figured that the Cullen's would not really know any different. She expected that her mother had started to notice before she left, but Victoria never said anything.

Alice quickly started to pick up her room, and within an hour everything was back where it belonged.

Then, it was time for a nap. Even with all the energy that Alice felt coursing through her body, she was still tired. Emotionally she was simply exhausted.

* * *

Esme had not heard a peep from any of the kids all afternoon. From past experiences, Esme knew that when it was quiet, disaster was usually close behind. She knew that she probably should go ahead and check on everyone, and check on them fast.

Bella, who had awakened from her nap at two o'clock, was playing with her dolls in the living room, watching an episode of the Backyardigans. Esme smiled at her youngest child as she jumped up to grab something for her doll and fell. As long as Bella didn't see her mother, however, she would not cry; so, Esme backed out of the room and headed for the stairs.

Jacob and Rosalie had just gotten home. Or, rather, Rosalie had dropped off Jacob and then had begged Esme to allow her to go over to Emmett's house. She had told her that, yes, she could, as long as she was back for supper. Rosalie had sighed then ran out of the house as quickly as she had ran in. She knew better than to question her mother, otherwise she would not be seeing Emmett for a while.

Jacob was coming out of the bathroom when Esme walked towards his room to check the rest of her kids.

"Hey Mom!" Jacob said jovially. It always warmed Esme's heart to see her children happy. Jacob was nearly always happy, smiling and joking with the entire family. His looks would be the only thing that told anyone that he was not biologically Carlisle and Esme's child. It made him no different though. They had loved him the minute they had gotten him, when he was barely three years old. Rosalie who had just turned six, had been their only child and they had thought they could have no more children. Esme had had a great deal of complications during her pregnancy with Rosalie.

Jacob had been a blessing though. His mother had been killed in a car accident, and his father had been confined to a wheelchair, unable to care for the small child. He had died nearly a year after. Esme and Carlisle had taken Jacob to see him every weekend until he passed away so that Jacob would remember the love his father had for him.

"Hello dear. How did practice go? You ran past me so fast earlier that I didn't even get a chance to ask you."

"Oh, it was all good. I mean, I think that we are going to be pretty good this year. Even better than last year. And, I had to run past you." He said, a slight twinkling in his eye that told Esme he wanted her to question him.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Cause, I didn't want ya to feel like ya had to have dad talk to me bout STINKING again! " He said with a burst of thundering laughter afterwards.

Esme lovingly swatted at her son and he hopped back, barely escaping his mother's gentle hand.

"Boy, get downstairs and set the table." She said, laughing herself.

"Aww…Mom, do you gave to be such a slave driver?" he asked as he ran towards the stairs.

"Walk! And make sure you set the table for everyone. Jasper will be here tonight. Aunt Kate is going out of the country again." She told him. He laughed, but did just as he was told.

* * *

Edward was in Jacob's room crying on his bed. He felt really bad about what he did to Alice, now, and wished that he could take it back. But, he knew that it was a done deal now, and he would be lucky if Alice didn't tell on him.

As soon as his door opened, he wiped them away quickly. Esme walked in the room and looked around, spotting Edward…and Edward's tears…almost instantly. She was quickly over by his side

"Edward, sweetheart, what is wrong? Are you ill?" Esme asked him, feeling his forehead for fever and then wrapping her arms around his small frame when she felt nothing out of the ordinary.

"Sweetie, as much as I wish that I could, I cannot read minds. So, you have to tell me what is the matter."

"Nothing, Mama. It has just been a really long day. I am sorry. I am just ready to be out of Jacob's room and into my new one."

"Well, sweetheart, guess what?" Esme said, loosening her grip on Edward and pushing his shoulders back at arm's length.

"What?" He asked quietly. He knew that she was fixing to tell him that his room was finished, just like he knew that Alice was in her room, upset that someone, he, had destroyed her room and her picture.

"You get to sleep in your new room tonight." Esme said with a broad smile, silently hoping that having his room ready would make everything better. Esme, however, was much wiser than that, and knew that a new room would not make whatever was bothering Edward, disappear.

Edward returned her smile with a sad version of his own.

"Good deal, Mom. I guess it is time for supper now, huh? Is Dad home yet? Maybe he will play catch with me after supper."

"It is nearly time for supper, and, yes, Daddy should be home soon. Why don't you go on downstairs and play with Bella for a bit and ask Daddy if he will play with you when he gets here. I need to get Alice. And, make sure that Jacob is putting out enough plates for everyone. Remind him that Jasper will be here tonight, as will Emmett."

"Okay." Edward said. He got up and left Esme sitting on the bed alone. She didn't know what was really wrong with him, but she knew that in time, it would come out. No matter what her children tried to hide from her, everything eventually came out in the open.

Slowly, she got up, knowing that she had to go and check on Alice to make sure that she knew supper was nearly ready.

Esme knocked on Alice's door lightly, and walked in when she didn't answer.

Alice had fallen asleep on the floor, clutching the picture of her and her mother. She had cried herself to sleep, silently, not wanting anyone else to know that she was upset.

If Esme was surprised when she saw Alice asleep on the floor, she didn't show it. She went over and sat on the floor beside the tiny girl and went to place her hand on her back to wake her.

That was when Esme saw something that surprised her.

The picture in Alice's hand that had been drawn on with a permanent marker.

That surprised her. Because, although she couldn't read minds, she was a mother and had a feeling that she knew exactly what had went on right under her nose. But at that moment, she decided, she would wait and see if Alice said anything to her or if her personal heathens did anything else after being warned to behave. Then, if anything else happened, she would get to the bottom of this.

Esme sighed, and then shook Alice gently. Alice jumped up like she had been shot. She jerked away from Esme instinctively, once again unsure of where she was at.

"Alice, sweetie, calm down, it is just me, Esme." She told her. Alice calmed down enough to realize where she was at and what was going on.

"Oh…I am sorry. I guess I should have told you that I get a little…um…jumpy, sometimes." Alice said. Already her hands were moving rapidly as she talked.

Esme grasped her hands between her own, and looked Alice in the eye.

"Alice, Sweetheart. It is alright. Calm down, okay? Why don't you and I go downstairs? My nephew Jasper is here for supper. In fact, he is going to be staying with us for several days while my sister goes out of town. You will get to meet Kate eventually. She does a lot of traveling. That is why Jasper has his own room here."

"Okay. I am kinda hungry." Alice told her.

Esme stood up, and reached down for Alice's hand. Alice slowly took it, and Esme helped her up.

"Come on chickadee. Let's go make sure my heathens aren't tearing the kitchen apart in search of food." Esme said, silently watching Alice slip the messed up photo into her back pocket, trying to avoid Esme's gaze the entire time.

Alice could smell food as she walked downstairs, and it made her stomach growl. She was a lot hungrier than she thought she was; that was for sure.

Alice kept her eyes glued to the ground as she followed Esme down the steps, and then went to her newly designated seat at the table.

She continued to look down until Esme had placed all of the food on the table and had sat beside her.

Alice didn't even realize that her legs were moving until Esme once again put her hand on her knee, just as she had the night before. Alice had to stifle a sigh. She really didn't understand why it bothered the Esme that bad. It didn't seem to bother anyone else.

"Alice, I would like you to meet Jasper. Jasper, this is Alice." Esme said. Alice reluctantly looked up.

When she did, she was surprised.

She was in awe.

She was looking at the one person that she knew in her heart…in her very soul…that she was destined to be with for the rest of her life.

Because, when she looked up, she looked into the eyes of a green eyed god that instantly held the key to her very soul.

And that made everything else that was going on around her okay.


	6. The Doctor and Pills

**AN: Okay, here is the next chapter! Let me know what you think, please, so I will know whether or not it is worth anything. This chapter has some major Esme/Carlisle-ness in it. I don't think it it quite enough to be rated M...but it is definitely pushing it. Thanks for reading! ash**

The Doctor and Pills

~One week later~

If Alice had been full of energy when she first arrived at the Cullen's house, it was no measure to what she was now.

From the moment that she got up, until she was made to go to bed, she was restless, full to bursting with energy, and a bottomless pit where food was concerned.

Esme was nearly positive that she had never seen a child so small eat as much as Alice did. Even Emmett had trouble keeping up with her at meals during the last week. Needless to say, this surprised Esme a great deal.

Esme had been keeping her eyes and ears open, just in case another incident was kept from her like the one involving Alice's picture. She was not one hundred percent sure that what she thought happened, had actually happened, but she was pretty sure. Call it mothers intuition, or something else, but Edward's tears, and Alice's sleeping on the floor with that picture clutched in her hand, had told Esme a lot more information than her family was willing to give her.

She and Carlisle had both decided mutually that night that if anything else happened they would call a family meeting and readdress the rules that they expected everyone in their house to follow.

Currently, Esme was going through the house picking up all of the kids' dirty laundry. It amazed her every week just how much laundry they dirtied.

Bella did not like to be dirty. So, being a three year old that did not have the steadiest of feet, Bella was always begging to be changed.

Edward and Jacob were boys, which sadly, was enough said. Of course, if Esme didn't make them, they would never change. When they did change though, their clothes almost automatically headed for the floor, much to Esme's distaste.

Rosalie was another story all together. Sometimes it was hard to tell what was clean and what wasn't where her room was concerned.

Picking up the clothes littering the floor in Rosalie's room, Esme realized that the clothes on the floor were not only Rosalie's.

Some of them were Emmett's.

"That girl…" Esme hissed under her breath. She had a feeling that she was going to have to have a heart to heart with her oldest daughter…and soon. Otherwise, there was going to be some hard roads ahead for her secretive, mischievous daughter.

Finding various articles of Emmett's clothes in Rosalie's room needed an explanation; that was for sure.

Next was Alice's room. Here Esme was hit with another surprise. Gone was the clean room that Alice had had the week before when she moved in. Esme sighed. Sadly, Alice's room seemed only to get worse each day that Esme walked in it.

Picking up several shirts that lay over the wastebasket beside Alice's bed was when Esme noticed something that surprised her above all else.

In the trashcan was at least a week's worth of the little round pills that Esme gave Alice twice a day.

"Alice!" Esme said just loud enough to be heard.

She would question Alice now, but she would also call Carlisle. This was Carlisle's territory, and perhaps he needed to talk to the girl and find out why she was not taking them.

Esme walked out into the hallway and threw the clothes she had gathered in the clothes basket and waited for Alice.

She still didn't show up.

"Mary Alice! Come upstairs please." Esme said in a no nonsense tone.

Downstairs Alice was frozen. Rosalie looked at her, shocked.

"What did you do? Mom never calls anyone by their first and middle name unless she is pissed off about something!" Rosalie told her.

Alice's eyes were huge saucers from her place on the floor where she had been playing with Bella.

"I dunno." Alice mumbled.

"Well, I suggest you get up there and see what she wants, cause you don't want her to come down here and get you. Not when she sounds like that."

"But, she doesn't sound mad." Alice said, looking up the stairs.

"Alice, believe me, go." Rosalie told her.

Alice nodded, and then went towards the stairs, slowly walking up them instead of running, for once.

Apparently, it was a good thing that Alice had followed Rosalie's advice, because Esme was coming out of her room and the look on her face was not one that Alice had seen before. Her face was not exactly angry. On the contrary, it was one of slight displeasure and confusion.

"Alice, please come in your room. You and I need to have a talk." Esme said, her arm stretched out towards Alice's room, practically ushering her into the room.

"Alice, please sit down." Esme told her, gesturing towards the bed. Alice sat down immediately.

Esme looked down at Alice, contemplating exactly how she was going to go about this conversation.

"I haven't done anything, Esme." Alice said. Alice knew from experience that to take the defensive route was often the best way to go.

But, that made Esme's nostrils flare a little.

"Alice, can you explain this to me?" Esme said, holding out her hand. Alice looked at her confused, her eyes searching her face for more information.

Then Alice's eyes traveled down Esme's arm, to her hand.

"Shit." Alice hissed. Then her eyes grew with anticipation from the situation she had just made go from bad to worse.

"Alice, watch your mouth. Why have you not been taking your medication?" Esme demanded softly. It bothered Alice that she was not yelling. When adults were mad, they were supposed to yell.

"Alice, please answer the question. This is a big thing. How long has it been since you have taken your medicine?"

Alice looked up at Esme and felt a tear slide down her left cheek.

"Alice…"

"I dunno. I stopped right before Mom brought me here." Alice mumbled under her breath so low that Esme could barely hear her.

"Alice, I want you to stay in your room until I come and tell you that you may leave. I have to think about this, and Carlisle and I need to discuss it amongst ourselves. While you are up here I want you to think about what you have done. Understand?" Esme asked the small girl in front of her.

Alice nodded to confirm what Esme had just told her. Esme looked at her and sighed slightly then walked out the door. She had a phone call to make.

* * *

Carlisle pulled into the driveway thinking about what his wife had told him a mere thirty minutes prior. Alice had not been taking her medicine for at least a week and a half, possibly more.

It would explain so much about the time that Alice had spent with them: her constant nervousness and hyper characteristics, the constant moving of her hands and legs no matter what she was doing, and the constant eating. It explained everything. He and Esme were definitely going to have to have a long conversation about the danger that she had put herself in; maybe not with this particular medication, but had it been anything else that she had done that with, she very well could have caused serious harm to herself.

He also knew that from now on, until the foreseeable future, Esme would have to watch her take her medicine twice a day. That was the amount she had been prescribed, and until Carlisle saw anything different, that was the amount she would continue to take.

Carlisle sighed as he parked his car in the garage and slowly got out. He hoped that since Alice had been here a week, that perhaps she would have warmed up to him by now. She had yet to speak willingly with him. The only people that she ever talked to were Rosalie and Bella. Even Esme had to make her talk to her. She constantly stayed in her room unless she was asked to leave.

Carlisle assumed that the reason she had been staying in her room so much was because she knew that the absence of medication would reveal itself. He also expected that she had probably nearly gone insane within the confines of her room over the last week.

As he walked in through the kitchen door, Carlisle was greeted instantly by his wife's scent. It was a light scent of cinnamon, lilies, and coconut. It was a scent that drove Carlisle wild with passion. Had they no children, he was positive that he would not be able to keep from ravaging her every time that he walked in the house after being absent for several hours.

At that moment, Esme walked in the kitchen and glided into his open embrace. Yes, if the kids were not home…well, he would not be able to control his basic instincts.

"Hello, Sweetheart. I have missed you." Carlisle whispered, slipping his tongue gently in his wife's mouth and battling for dominance with her own tongue. For several moments they both stayed there, passionately kissing one another, until, finally, Esme reluctantly pulled away from her husband and his all too powerful hold.

"Love, the children are already starting to set the table. I just told Alice that she could come down and sit at the table, and after supper something has to be done with that situation. Finding those pills has explained so much about her behavior." Esme said to her husband.

Carlisle nodded and slowly let his arms fall from around her.

"Yes. She cannot continue to mess with her health the way that she has. We are going to have to set some rules where it is concerned. We give the other kids their medications when they are on them, and we watch them take them out of habit. We are going to have to do the exact same with her as we do with them. Otherwise, we are not going to know whether she is doing as she should be."

"Yes, you are right. Let's go get supper and then we will talk with Alice." Esme said.

Carlisle nodded, and grabbed a plate that Esme held out to him and walked into the dining room to find everyone sitting around the table, waiting for supper.

Emmett and Rosalie were at the end of the table, talking, much to close for Carlisle's comfort. He felt that the two sixteen year olds were moving much too fast in their relationship. Jasper sat on the other side of Rosalie, and seemed to grimace every time that the love birds showed any endearment for one another. He was trying to talk to Edward about baseball, but Edward was too busy fussing at Jacob for something he had done. Jacob was trying hard not to laugh at Edward. Alice was simply sitting in her seat, her legs kicking back and forth. Her face was full of worry. Yes, Carlisle thought, she knows that she is in trouble.

"Rosalie, Emmet." Carlisle said with his eyebrows raised. They slid apart immediately and Jasper looked at his uncle gratefully.

"Edward, Jacob." Carlisle did the same thing that he had to stop Rosalie and Emmett. The two boys stopped immediately as Carlisle set the food in his hand down on the table.

Alice finally looked up at Carlisle as he sat down two seats from her. She tried to search his face for any bit of information that might tell her just how much trouble she might be in.

Carlisle caught her eye for a split second.

"Alice, after supper, Esme and I would like to speak to you in my office."

Alice looked at him for a few more moments, nodded, and then looked down. This was going to be the longest meal of her life. That was the only thing that she knew at that moment.

* * *

Carlisle and Esme stood directly in front of where Alice was sitting. She had not been in Carlisle's office, and was surprised that it looked so cozy. There were several bookcases, mostly full of medical journals and case studies, a desk and leather chair, two leather chairs in front of the desk, and several lamps. Together, they made the place look lived in.

"Alice, Esme told me about this afternoon, is there anything that you would like to say before we discuss this?" Carlisle asked.

"No." Alice said. She had yet to determine whether she was going to take the defensive route in this situation, or if they were just going to simply tell her that she had to start taking her meds again.

"Alice, do you know how dangerous it is to suddenly stop taking important medication? That there are side effects that could occur by doing so? Do you realize that over the last week you have taken several steps back from where you should be because you stopped your medication? You have been hyper, unable to pay attention, restless, and have been unable to fulfill your hunger. Had you been on any other medication it might have been ten times worse." Carlisle told Alice. Alice stared at the two of them.

Adults. So quick to show you where you were wrong. It was annoying and Alice didn't understand what business of theirs it was.

"Alice, do you understand what Carlisle is saying?" Esme asked delicately.

Alice's eyes shot up towards Esme immediately.

"I am not an incompetent. In fact, I am quite intelligent. I have an IQ of 136."

"Alice…" Carlisle said warningly and stepped up to her.

Alice immediately scooted back and sent him a devilish glare. Esme looked up at him as well, and, with her eyes, told him to slow down.

"Alice, there is no need to become defensive. We are worried about you. Okay, sweetheart? Carlisle is trying to make sure that you take your medication as you are supposed to. It is very important." Esme said.

"Fine. I got it. Can I go to my room?" Alice asked, trying hard to stay still so that she could prove them wrong.

"No, Alice. I am sorry but we are not done discussing this." Carlisle said.

Alice gaped at him, angry that she was being held against her will.

"Alice, we are going to keep this simple. Every day after breakfast and lunch, Esme will give you your medicine. You will take your medication in front of Esme so that we can be assured that you are taking it. Are we understood?" Carlisle asked her softly. His voice never raised above its normal tone. He never got angry. He just spoke as if he were stating facts, which, reluctantly, Alice knew was true.

Alice sat there, and looked back and forth between the two of them. She didn't want to answer, because if she did, and she said yes, then she would no longer be in control of her body. And, to her, that was not fair.

"Alice, please answer the question." Esme finally said.

Alice sighed.

"Yea, I got it. My meds, in front of Esme, every day, twice a day, are to be taken from here on out, whether I like it or not. I got it." She replied, barely more than a whisper, her eyes never looking up.

The two adults could tell that the child was not happy with this arrangement, but that could not be helped her health…and her behavior…would have to come first. In the wrong, if she was going to misbehave, then no one was going to be happy anyways.

"Alice, why did you stop taking your medication?" Carlisle finally asked.

It was the one question that Alice knew would come out eventually, but also one that she did not want to answer.

"Because, they are mine, and I didn't want too." Alice said, then jumped up from her seat on the couch and ran down the stairs leaving both Carlisle and Esme baffled.

Because they both knew that that was not the real reason that Alice had stopped taking the pills. Their job now was to simply let her cool off, go on as planned, and hopefully find out why she had stopped taking them at a later date.

"You know, Love, there is more to that little girl than either of us know." Esme said quietly. So quietly that Carlisle barely heard her.

"Yes, I believe that you are right. We will get to know her. She is going to be here for three months." Carlisle said, moving closer to his wife.

"Victoria was so different when she dropped Alice off. Nothing like she was when we were friends. The way she acted…I don't know, it was odd. Like she was regretful, almost." Esme said.

"Don't worry, Love, we will figure everything out when the time is right."

"Yes, you are right," Esme sighed, leaning against her husband, knowing that she had all the support in the world, no matter what happened.

* * *

Later that night, after Carlisle and Esme had checked on each of the kids to assure that they were either asleep or close to sleep in their beds, they went directly into their room and shut the door.

The best thing about their house was how it was set up. With three stories and a basement, there was plenty of room for their growing family.

The third floor was strictly the boys: three bedrooms, one bathroom, and Carlisle's study. The second floor was the girls' bedrooms, their bathroom, and Carlisle and Esme's bedroom and bathroom. The first floor was simply the general rooms: living room, den, kitchen, a half bathroom for guests, and Esme's room for her personal use.

Both Carlisle and Esme had agrees when they bought the house that it would be good for them to have their own space. A bathroom that was theirs, and a room that was quite large.

And, it was also large enough for their California king size bed so that when they had visitors in the middle of the night, they would be able to make plenty of room for them.

And, they tended to have a lot of visitors during the night.

Tonight, however, they had a feeling that everything was going to go smoothly. The only one that had been awake was Rosalie, and she had been close to sleep.

"Did you lock the door?" Esme asked as Carlisle's hand snaked its way up her thigh. The tingly sensation sent a chill up her spine.

"Yessss." He grunted slightly, climbing on top of his wife and tugging the tank top she had on over her head. The rest of her clothes, minus her panties and bra, were scattered all over the floor, starting at the door, trailing to the bed.

Carlisle gently kissed Esme's shoulder, then her neck, and slowly worked his way down to her clothed breasts. His hand slyly reached underneath his wife and, with the smooth and steady hand of a doctor, he released the clasp of her bra.

Esme wrapped her right leg around her husband's waist and her arms around his neck, her eyes closed in ecstasy.

"Ahhh…Carlisle…" Esme said, the pleasure was evident in her voice, her eyes still closed.

Carlisle still kissed her now naked breasts, his wandering hands traveling down her smooth, flat stomach, down her narrow hips, to her red lace panties.

Carlisle couldn't help but wonder if she had put those particular panties on because she knew that the color drove him wild.

Gingerly, he slipped those tiny panties off her hips, and slid his knee between her legs and then wrapped his arms around her waist.

Carlisle moved his kisses to Esme's mouth, and then, not missing a beat, Carlisle flipped him and Esme over so that Esme was on top and he on bottom…a position that he knew his wife loved above all else.

"I love you…" Esme whispered into his ear. Carlisle smiled down at his wife, then continued to kiss his wife passionately.

Esme, suddenly realizing that she was in control of her husband, decided that they had both waited long enough; in one quick motion they were one.

Much too soon, Carlisle and Esme were both lying in bed, barely covered, with their limbs entangled together.

"I love you, so much." Carlisle said, leaning over to kiss his wife gently.

"I love you do, Dr. Cullen." She said with a sigh, her eyes closing gently.

Esme sighed, "We need to put some clothes on and open the door. You never know which angel will need us during the wee morning hours." Esme said sleepily.

They both quickly got dressed, and then fell asleep with Carlisle's arms wrapped around his wife.


	7. The Act of Being Caught

**AN: AH, here we go. The next chapter...though it is later in the week than I normally post. However, life has been busy...**

**There may not be a post next week, it depends on whether I can get the next chapter corrected or not...unfortunately, I cannot NOT attend real life...(Meaning I HAVE to go to classes AND do all the work that entails...) **

**Anyways, I hope that you enjoy! Tell me what you think, please...Good Day...=)  
**

The Act of Being Caught

The next morning, Alice stood in front of Esme and took her medicine without a fuss. Honestly, that surprised Esme just a little bit after the night before. She had thought that she was going to have to fight with the young girl to get her to take it.

But, she didn't, and Alice, after showing Esme that she had swallowed it, sat down at the table for breakfast.

Rosalie came in a few moments later and sat in her normal seat and looked at Alice.

"Hey, since, it is like, Saturday, do you wanna come with me to the mall today? Emmett and Jazz are playing some stupid Xbox game, so if Mom doesn't care we can go shopping." Rosalie told her. Both girls looked up at Esme as she walked into the room.

"Mom, can we?" Rosalie asked, almost impatiently.

"I don't know, Rosalie. Have you finished your homework? If you fail this class this summer your father and I are not going to be nearly as lenient as we were this time." Esme replied.

"Mom! I was grounded for like six weeks! How can you do anything worse than that? You took everything away from me! My car, the garage, and Emmett!" Rosalie told her mother hastily.

"I assure you that both your father and I can think of many more ways to punish you for failing that class; especially, if you do so a second time. So, if you do not want to find out what they are, you had best pass the course." Her mother told her.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but knew better than to say anything else. Her parents did not bode well when they were disrespected, so she attempted to refrain from it, if all possible.

Her mother, however, caught the eye roll.

"Rosalie Lillian, if you want to go anywhere, I suggest you straighten up. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am. Sorry. Can we please go? Alice hasn't been out of the house since she got here! Please, Mom!" The way it sounded, Rosalie was nearly begging. But, unless it involved a punishment, Rosalie did not beg. It was to low on the totem pole for her.

"You may go, under a few stipulations."

"Yes?"

"You may leave here at ten o'clock, and you will be back by at least 5:30. No later. You will not miss dinner. Understood?" Esme told her daughter.

"Yes ma'am! Thanks Mom!" Rosalie said, and jumped up from the table and kissed her mother on the cheek. She turned to Alice and looked at her for a minute.

"What are you waiting on? You only have an hour to get ready! Get a move on it!" Rosalie told her.

Rosalie grabbed her hand and started to run for the steps.

"Walk!" Esme shouted. They slowed down to a brisk walk that was very nearly a run (Esme sighed a deep sigh, and knew that there was really no point in saying anything else since they were practically in their rooms now anyways), and were up the stairs in minutes.

About thirty minutes later Esme walked to the second floor and into Alice's room. Alice was in her closet trying to decide what to wear to the mall, but she was not making much progress.

"Alice, honey…"

Alice turned around and looked at Esme. She knew what this was about. She had known it was coming eventually the minute that she and Rosalie had been given permission to go shopping.

"Esme, I promise I will take it after lunch! You can even give it to Rosalie and she can watch me take it! I will…" Alice said.

Ahhh, Esme thought, so when the little dear wants something she will do what we have asked: with no hesitation. Esme knew at the moment that she had another sneaky little angelic brat on her hands. Ha, she might as well jump on the band wagon. Esme knew exactly how to deal with her sometimes devious children.

And, she loved every minute of it.

"Thank you, Alice. I appreciate that. I am going to give you your pills though. I am, however, going to ask Rosalie to help remind you to take them after lunch. I am going to trust you. Carlisle and I will know if you do not take them, so please to not break that trust. Okay, Dear?" Esme asked her.

"I promise. I really want to go with Rosalie."

"And you may. Go ahead and get ready, and I will give your medication to you right before you leave." Esme said, and then walked towards the door.

"Esme?" Alice asked softly.

"Yes?"

"Thanks." Alice whispered.

This caused Esme to smile softly.

"You are welcome."

* * *

In Rosalie's car, a red 2009 M3 BMW convertible that she had gotten on her birthday, Rosalie turned and looked at Alice who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat.

"Okay, here is the deal, we are going shopping, but we have to go see Daddy first." Rosalie told her.

"Okay. But… why?" Alice asked Rosalie.

"Well, Mom wouldn't give me any money since she gave me my allowance, um, like two days ago. So, we are going to ask Daddy for his credit card. No worries. It is all good." Rosalie said then sped off for the hospital.

Within fifteen minutes both girls were in the hospital, waiting in Carlisle's office.

This office, much to Alice's surprise, was a lot like his office at home.

She was busy scoping out every little detail when the door behind her opened and closed.

"Hey girls. What are you two up too?" Carlisle asked, wrapping one of his arms around Rosalie to pull her close and then kissing the top of her head.

"Daddy, Mama said that we could go shopping, so can I borrow your credit card? Pretty please, Daddy?" Rosalie said, her eyes pleading, her lips pouting.

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Here you go. Please limit yourself though, dear." Carlisle told her, handing his card to her.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Rosalie said, kissing her father's cheek, then grabbing Alice's hand and pulling her out of the office.

"Bye, Daddy!"

Alice had no idea what had just happened. All she knew was that Rosalie was good…very good…at getting what she wanted.

* * *

By the end of their shopping trip, after a decent lunch and with nine shopping bags between them, both girls were exhausted but happy.

All of that changed, however, when Esme walked on the porch, tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh shit." Rosalie said, her hands still on the steering wheel, her eyes towards her mother.

"What?" Alice asked, suddenly frightened from the situation that she currently found herself in.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Rosalie hit the steering wheel with both of her hands.

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen, get in this house. Now!" Esme said with a deadly calm tone.

Alice was lost. She had no idea what was going on.

"Rosalie! What the hell is going on?" Alice yelled, finally pulling Rosalie out of her stupor.

Rosalie turned and looked at Alice.

"I think that Mom found out that I went and asked Dad for his credit card."

"Why is that such a big deal?"

"Because, Mom forbid me from asking Dad for it. She told me that she just gave me my allowance and there was no reason that I would have spent it in two days. Which, technically, was true, but I had to spend it. I didn't have a choice." Rosalie mumbled, her eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears.

"Well, aren't you the one that told me when your Mom gets like this, that you had better go when she tells you too? I think that you better go!" Alice said, never taking her eyes off of Rosalie, but desperately wanting to shoot a glance at Esme to see if she was still there or not.

Yea, you are right." Rosalie said, getting out of the car, smartly leaving her shopping bags in the backseat.

Rosalie walked very slowly towards her mother, full of dread.

There was no way that she could tell her Mom why she didn't have any money. No way at all.

"Go to your room. I promise, young lady, I am right behind you as soon as Alice comes in this house." Esme said, a deadly glare fixed on her sixteen year old daughter.

Rosalie, being Rosalie, decided that that was a good time to question her mother.

"What have I done?" Rosalie asked, her voice hitching over the words because of the tears she was trying to hold back.

"Besides the fact that you went behind my back to get your father's credit card? Go to your room, and I assure you, Rosalie Lillian Cullen, you and I will talk. Now, I suggest you get up those stairs, now." Esme said.

Rosalie inched past her mother, fully expecting a smack in passing, but one did not come. She sighed a sigh of relief and went towards the stairs.

Alice, on the other hand, was watching Esme with dismay, not really knowing what to do as she got out of the car, also leaving the shopping bags in the back seat.

Esme looked at the girl and sighed.

"Alice, sweetie, I am not angry at you. I apologize for losing my temper like that. Would you please come into the house?" Esme said, holding the door open.

Alice looked at her with confusion.

Esme sighed again. She had probably just given the young girl reason not to trust her. She hoped it was the opposite.

"Alice, sweetheart, what are you feeling? Are you scared? Nervous? Apprehensive?"

Alice looked at her contentedly, from the top of her head to her shoes. In a way, it was nerve wracking for Esme. She felt like she was under investigation or something. But, she never moved, knowing that with skittish children it was often better to remain as still as possible when they were sizing you up…or, in Alice's case, deciding whether you were going to harm them or not. Because, like it or not, Esme had a feeling that that was what Alice was doing.

This time, Alice sighed.

"I am not afraid of you. I know that you are not going to hurt me. Apprehensive? A bit. But that is because of my nature. I am full of unused energy," Alice looked at the pointed look Esme was giving her, "whether I take my medicine or not. I know that you do what you believe you must." Alice said.

Esme really didn't know what to think about that, but did know that she really needed to go talk to her daughter.

"Alice, would you mind…"

"Don't worry, I like playing with Bella." Alice said, and then walked past Esme and towards the living room where Bella was currently watching television.

Esme was astounded by the young girl. She always seemed to know what others were thinking or fixing to do. Oddly, her perception was much like young Edward's, who, in turn, had internally decided to dislike the girl.

Oh well, Esme thought, she really had to go and talk to Rosalie before Carlisle got home, which would be any minute.

Rosalie walked up the stairs after listening to her mother talk to Alice and then send her to play with Bella. She wanted to get to her room before her mother realized that she had disobeyed her.

Rosalie walked to her room and opened the door.

Then, after taking a step into her room, she froze.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no. This can't be happening." Rosalie said quietly to herself, staring at her bed.

She noticed several things. One was that her room was clean. Esme must have decided to clean it while she and Alice were at the mall.

The second thing that she noticed was that her sheets and bedding had all been changed. And that was what Rosalie knew had been her downfall.

It would be the reason for the offending objects on her bed; the ones that she would be unable to erase from her mother's memory no matter how hard she tried.

They were the objects she had spent her allowance on, and the ones that would cause her death.

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen, do you want to explain to me why on earth you had five pregnancy tests hidden under your bed?" Esme asked her daughter as soon as she saw her frozen, staring at her bed.

" Ummm…." Rosalie couldn't thing. Her mind was full, her heart was pounding, and tears were fixing to fall down her cheeks.

Rosalie knew that no matter what, now was a time to cry. She cried so little, maybe her mother would take leniency on her.

"Rosalie, why do you have those pregnancy tests?" Esme asked, this time a little softer than before, seeing how distraught her daughter was.

"What?" Came a voice from the doorway.

Esme and Rosalie both turned around and looked.

Carlisle.

He looked surprised.

Angry.

Disappointed.

Determined.

He immediately turned around and headed back towards the stairs.

Esme followed him, and Rosalie walked timidly out of her room so that she could hear.

"Carlisle, where are you going?" Esme asked her now determined husband.

"To find Emmett!" Carlisle said, much louder than his normal tone, grabbing his car keys and heading out the front door.

And that was when Rosalie Lillian Cullen finally burst into tears.


	8. Explanations

**AN: Here is yet another chapter...much sooner than I thought, since it was not going to come out until next week. However, I decided that I would go ahead a post it today. **

**I hope that you enjoy, and, please, let me know what you think when you are done reading this. **

**Also, there is some conversation about sex in this chapter. It is not a lot, but it is there. In the upcoming chapters, it may come up a bit more, as you will soon understand. **

**Anyways, without further ado, I present the next chapter...  
**

Explanations

Esme looked at her daughter. She hated to see her usually composed sixteen year old daughter in tears. It happened so rarely, that Esme almost didn't know what to think about it.

So, she did the only thing she could, and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

No matter what the outcome of today was, it wouldn't change the love Esme felt for her daughter, and she knew that it was important for her to know this now instead of later.

Rosalie wrapped her arms around Esme's neck and dug her face into her neck, wracking sobs coming from her body.

What in the world has my baby done? Esme thought to herself, wrapping her arms protectively around her daughter.

Esme was much less angry than she had been earlier…

_Esme had laid Bella down for a nap and decided to take that time to clean around the house. Since all of the other kids except Edward and Bella were out of the house, it would be the perfect time to clean Rosalie's room. Normally, Esme would make Rosalie clean it herself, but at least once a year, Esme liked to give it a good cleaning. She gradually did this to every room in the house, but it was definitely time to do Rosalie's. _

_Esme was surprised at the amount of stuff that Rosalie had in her room. It was not a new realization to Esme; she was well aware that her daughter was spoiled. _

_Esme took a break from Rosalie's room when the phone rang. _

_It was Carlisle._

"_Hey Baby." Esme said._

"_Hey! How are you holding down the fort?" Carlisle asked his wife. Esme laughed. He knew very well what her days were like._

"_It is going well. Bella is napping, Edward is in his room, Jacob is at a friend's, Jasper is with Emmett at the park until later tonight, and the girls went to the mall." Esme told her husband._

"_Yea, Rosalie and Alice came by here a couple of hours ago." Carlisle said casually._

_This caught Esme's attention._

"_What do you mean they came by the hospital?" _

"_Rosalie asked if she could have the credit card." Carlisle said, instantly knowing that he probably should not have given his daughter the plastic card._

"_Carlisle! Did you give it to her?" Esme asked. _

"_Um…of course I did… She was making the face…" Carlisle said, trying to make giving his daughter his credit card alright, although he knew that it was anything but. _

"_Carlisle Cullen, you are one day going to have to look past that face. She cannot always have what she wants." Esme said, honestly trying to avoid laughing at Carlisle. _

_He was almost as bad as the children. He always gave his daughters what they wanted if they stuck their bottom lip out and called him Daddy. _

"_I take it that you told Rosalie she couldn't have it?" Carlisle asked quietly, well aware of the fact that he had messed up. _

"_Yes, Dr. Cullen, I did. She just got her allowance two days ago. She needs nothing. It would have sufficed." Esme told her husband._

"_I am sorry Esme. It was the face…"_

_Esme couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst out laughing. _

"_Oh, my dear husband, she has you wrapped around her little finger and knows exactly how to get what she wants. You cannot always tell her yes."_

"_I know, Sweetheart, but it is difficult. When we can provide not only her needs, but her wants as well…"_

"_She has to learn, Dear. You wouldn't have given into the boys that fast."_

_Esme listened to her husband sigh. She knew that she had won this disagreement._

"_Okay, we will talk to Rosalie tonight." Carlisle said. _

"_Thank you. We are going to have to do something. Before she thinks she can rob a bank just by simply bating her eyelashes." Esme told him. Carlisle laughed._

_Soon, the two of them got off the phone and Esme checked on Bella, and then went back to Rosalie's room. The room was a mess._

_Esme sighed. _

_She gathered up the clothes littering the floor, and then started to throw away the trash from the wastebasket. _

_Esme started pulling the bedding off the mattress, but knocked Rosalie's alarm clock on the floor; a useless appliance in Rosalie's room since Esme had to wake her daughter up every day, no matter what._

_Esme bent down to pick the clock up, but could not reach it. _

_She got on her hands and knees and looked under the bed._

_That was when she saw it._

_Or, rather, them._

_Five pregnancy tests were under her daughter's bed. What in the world was going on!_

_Esme did a mental flashback to several days before; she had picked up Emmett's shirt in here when doing laundry._

_Pregnancy tests._

_Emmett's shirt._

_Esme didn't know what to think. _

_Slowly, she got up, and continued cleaning Rosalie's room._

_But, when her daughter got home, she had a lot of explaining to do…_

Esme snapped out of her daydream and continued to rub her daughter's back, trying to sooth her enough so that they could talk.

"Rosalie, we have to discuss this situation that we are in. This is not a little thing." Esme whispered into her daughter's ear.

"I know Mom…But, you aren't going to believe me!" Rosalie sobbed into Esme's shoulder.

"Rosalie, you know that your father and I are always ready to listen. We always try to keep an open mind. So, you never know until you tell me."

"You and Daddy are already mad. You aren't going to believe me!" Rosalie said, then wrenched herself away from her mother's arms and ran out of the room.

Several moments later the bathroom door slammed shut.

* * *

Carlisle was mad and disappointed.

He was mad at Emmett for messing with his baby girl.

He was a bit disappointed in his baby girl; a feeling that he had never had in any of his children.

But, then again, maybe it was not disappointment that he was feeling. Maybe he was simply scared.

Yes, Carlisle thought to himself, he was scared for his little girl. In his line of work he often saw teenage pregnancies. Besides that a child was the end product, a child that must be raised and cared for, teenage pregnancies often had complications; especially if the teenage girl went without medical treatment. Carlisle could not fathom the thought of his little girl being in trouble, and he not being able to help her.

Rosalie was only sixteen and was not old enough for a child.

Hell, Emmett wasn't old enough or mature enough for a child.

But, honestly, as much as Carlisle loved Emmett like one of his own, he was disgruntled with the boy at the moment.

He definitely had a lot that he wanted to say to Emmett.

Soon, Carlisle was at the park where he saw Emmett and Jasper throwing a baseball around.

He got out of the car and walked swiftly over to the two boys.

"Emmett! You and I need to have a talk!" Carlisle said, quite loudly, considering he was usually such a calm and collected man.

"Dude, what did you do to Uncle Carlisle? He is pissed!" Jasper said, taking several steps back to get away from Carlisle. Jasper had never seen his uncle in this form, and was not exactly sure he liked the vibe he was getting from him.

"I haven't done anything!" Emmett hissed back.

"Emmett! What did you do to my baby girl?" Carlisle said, walking even closer.

Emmett looked at Jasper, fear apparent in his eyes.

"I didn't do anything to Rosalie! I love her!" Emmett yelled at Carlisle.

Normally, Carlisle was pleased with the love that Emmett had for his daughter. They had shared that love since they were small children, and it had grown as they had. But today was not one of those days. Carlisle was too angry with him.

"Emmett, what did you do to Rosalie?" Carlisle asked one more time, trying to hold onto whatever amount of patience that he had left.

Emmett looked at Jasper, then back to Carlisle.

"I did not do anything to her that would hurt her!" Emmett said, pronouncing every syllable, or every word.

Then Carlisle did something that he had never done.

He grabbed the front of Emmett's shirt and pulled him towards him within inches of his own face.

"Then tell me, Emmett, why my baby girl had several pregnancy tests under her bed." Carlisle said.

Emmett froze with a look of shock on his face.

* * *

"Rosalie, baby, we have to talk about this. Especially if…if… you are..." Esme said, stumbling over the words, trying to hide the sound of oncoming tears and find the right words to use at the same time.

"What Mom? WHAT?" Rosalie said, jerking the door open to reveal her tear stained face, "Mom? What? What if I am pregnant? What if I am not the virtuous daughter that you thought you had?"

"Rosalie, lower your voice, please." Esme asked, eyeing the nearby staircase.

"Why?" Rosalie yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Because, Rosalie, we are discussing a subject that does not need to be heard by your brothers and sister, and Alice. They are too young. And, there is no need for them to worry about something that they do not understand."

"Mom, do you really, honestly think that Jacob and Alice do not know about sex? Get a life!" Rosalie snapped.

"Rosalie, stop it! We are fixing to talk about this right now, but you need to lose the attitude. I understand you are upset, but we will talk about this calmly and rationally."

"No! Because you won't listen! How can I talk to you when I know Daddy is killing Emmett when he doesn't even know the whole story? Huh?"

Rosalie was really crying by this time; her entire face was a mess of tears and makeup.

"Then tell me the whole story, Rosalie."

Rosalie looked at her mother for quite a few moments before she said anything else, a look of hurt on her face.

"Mom, you didn't even ask me why I had the tests. You didn't even ask." Rosalie said quietly, tears falling down her face.

* * *

"What are you talking about," Emmett asked, "We haven't even has sex! I mean, sure we have messed around quite a bit, but Rosalie said that she couldn't face the disappointment of you and Esme if she were to have sex! I respect her wishes, and no offense sir, but I don't want to see that disappointment either! You and Esme are like parents to me!"

Carlisle loosened his grip and finally, for the first time since he had walked up to the two boys, he looked into Emmett's eyes.

Then he patted him on the back, unsure of what to do, but happy with what he was hearing.

* * *

"Then tell me, sweetheart, tell me." Esme said quietly, reaching her hand under Rosalie's chin to lift her face up so that they were able to look each other in the eye.

"Mama, I am not pregnant. Me and Emmett have not gone that far, I swear. I bought those tests for a girl at school." Rosalie said, her voice breaking a little.

Esme sighed, a deep sigh that was full of relief, and pulled her daughter to her chest in a fierce hug.

This was indeed great news to Esme's ears.

All of a sudden, there was a crash downstairs, followed by a scream of pain, which was, in turn followed by yelling.

"Rosalie, baby, go get cleaned up, then you and I are going to have a long talk. Okay? You and I really need to get everything out there so that stuff like this doesn't happen. I'll be back up in a little bit." Esme said quickly, patting her daughter on the back, then heading down the stairs to see what in the world was going on now.


	9. Animal Fights & Hospital Flights

**This chapter is dedicated to, _CaughtforCarlisle_ and _MarraBelle..._ They both share a great love of Carlisle...so, I tried to give him the attention he deserved in this chapter...  
**

**AN: Okay, I know this is late, but I had to really think about whether or not I was going to post this chapter after I was done writing it. Mainly because there is an Esme/Carlisle section that gives the M rating a reason...So, since I know that I have a few readers that do not want to read that type of thing, a WARNING section to WARN you, and then there will be an END section to WARN you that it is ENDING. That way, if you do not want to read it, you do not have too. There is very little that you will miss out on, as the section is quite small...but, it really had to happen. I would appreciate it if you would review and tell me what you think about that chapter as a whole, but flames because you do not like this aspect of the chapter will be ignored. I have asked several people what they thought about this chapter, and they seemed to have no problem with it... so without further ado, I present to you, **

**Animal Fight and Hospital Flights**

Alice had watched Carlisle rush out the door just as quickly as he had walked in about thirty minutes ago. She had been playing with Bella for a while, and, honestly, she was ready to go back to her room.

"No Jacob, you do it!" Alice heard Edward say in the hallway.

"Fine," was Jacob's reply.

Soon, the two boys were in the living room.

Edward came in and stood about a foot behind Alice, close to the wall, while Jacob stood in the doorway, with his hands behind his back.

"Hey, Alice." Jacob said slyly. Alice looked at him. She didn't trust him. Not at all.

"Yea?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"Can me and Edward play catch with these things?" Jacob said, throwing something at Edward, who in turn, caught it.

"Yea, Alice!" Edward said, not really understanding why Jacob thought it was so funny to be throwing around the random box of items he had gotten out of Alice's room.

Before Alice had a chance to turn around and look at Edward, he was opening the box that Jacob had thrown at him and taking the objects inside the box, out.

"What is this for?" Edward asked in pure eight year old boy innocence.

Alice looked at his hands, and her eyes grew twice as big as they normally were.

"You little brat! Give me those!" Alice said, standing up and then moving in front of Edward.

"No!" Edward said then threw several plastic wrapped objects at his brother.

"What are these, Jacob?" Edward asked again, throwing three more past an angry eyed Alice.

"Tampons, twerp!" Jacob said.

"Stop it this instant, Edward Cullen!" Alice said, trying not to cry from embarrassment and rage.

"Make me!" Edward replied, throwing one to directly hit Alice in the chest.

This made Alice see red. Before she knew it, she had pushed Edward backwards and grabbed the box from his hands so that he no longer had anything to throw.

Distantly, she heard Edward crash into an end table, breaking the lamp that was on it. She saw Jacob set Bella on the couch, and then come over to her.

"What do you think that you are doing?" Jacob yelled in Alice's face.

Alice was shaking with anger, and, regretfully, fear. But, the anger was currently overriding the fear.

"You selfish, egotistical Bastard!" Alice yelled loudly, and then, suddenly, basic instincts took over and she hit Jacob as hard as she could. Then, they were both rolling on the floor, knocking things over that they rolled into.

"What is going on?" Esme asked, coming down the stairs. She looked over at Carlisle, who had just walked in the door, followed closely by Jasper and Emmett.

"Stop fighting right this instant!" Carlisle said, but nothing stopped.

"Mama…." Edward cried. Esme looked over at her youngest son and saw him lying in the middle of a broken lamp, blood streaming down his arm, and tears streaming down his chubby cheeks. Esme immediately hurried over to Edward. She knew that Carlisle would want to check his arm out, but until Edward was cuddled by his mama, he wouldn't let Carlisle near him.

"Emmett, grab Jacob, please. I will grab Alice." Carlisle said loudly, because of all of the noise that the two kids rolling on the floor were making. He was actually surprised at some of the obscenities that were escaping both children's mouths.

That was about the time that Bella started to wail, Rosalie came down the stairs, her eyes still red from crying. Jasper grabbed Bella and handed her to Rosalie to care for.

Carlisle and Emmett simultaneously went to grab the two fighters so that they could pull them apart.

Carlisle, grabbing Alice, had no idea that when he flung his arm across her shoulders and chest that he would get the reaction he did.

Alice looked up and saw that Carlisle was the one that was restricting her movements.

And then, Alice let out a horrendous scream.

Esme, who was picking up a crying Edward and his blood covered body, looked up quickly, knowing that a scream like that was one from panic and fright, not from pain or fighting someone.

"Carlisle, put her down." Esme said, evenly, trying not to alarm the kids.

"I can't Esme. She is kicking too much; she might hurt one of the kids if I let her loose." Carlisle told her, still holding on to Alice with a death grip, afraid that if he let her go that there would be someone else hurt. Or, she would hurt herself.

"Jasper!" Esme called then realized he was right beside her, "Edward, baby, can Jasper take you to the kitchen?" Esme asked him. Edward nodded, knowing full well that his mother was trying to make sure that everyone remained calm.

"Here, take Edward into the kitchen, and get a towel to wrap around his arm. I have a feeling that we may have to go to the hospital after Uncle Carlisle takes a look at it." Esme told her nephew.

Esme handed Jasper his cousin, and then looked at Emmett.

"Emmett, please take Jacob to his room." Esme told him. He nodded, and when Jacob started to protest, she sent a glare that made him shut his mouth immediately. He already knew that he was in major trouble, and it would not do to anger his parents any more than he already had.

As soon as everyone was out of the living room except for Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, Esme walked over to Alice. Esme looked at her. Alice's eyes were full of fear, tears were streaking down her face, and her breathing was unnaturally heavy, even for the fight that she had just gotten in.

"Carlisle, something is wrong with her!" Esme told him, well aware that her husband could not tell that something was wrong with Alice because of the way that he was holding her.

Quickly, Carlisle let go of Alice, and turned her around. Alice nearly fell, but Carlisle caught her.

"Alice, sweetheart, what is wrong? How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked her.

Alice didn't respond. She was trying to breath in big gasping breathes that were severely uneven and labored. Tears were sliding out of the corners of her eyes, and she was still trying to get away from Carlisle, much to his dismay.

"Alice, sweetie, calm down." Esme said, trying to sooth her by rubbing circles on her back.

"Her inhaler, Esme." Carlisle said quickly. Alice nodded fiercely, but when Esme went to leave the room, Alice finally got out of Carlisle's grasp and grabbed Esme.

'Where is it, Esme?" Carlisle asked, realizing that Esme would be going nowhere.

"In the kitchen, on the cabinet, where I put it the day that you and I talked about it. I wanted it to be where the kids could see it in case this happened and we were not here." Esme said, pulling Alice down on her lap, once again trying to sooth the crying, asthmatic child.

"Alice, sweetie, your airways are swollen because you have had an emotional trigger, causing you to have an asthma attack. I need you to sit up as straight as you can, okay?" Carlisle asked.

Alice nodded, trying to sit up as straight as possible.

"Okay, Alice, I am going to put your inhaler in and give you two puffs." Carlisle said, trying to calm her down and not cause this attack to be worse than it already was.

Carlisle puffed the inhaler twice, and then waited. Seeing that she was not getting any better, he puffed the inhaler twice more.

Carlisle watched his watch while feeling Alice's pulse, trying to decide whether or not a trip to the hospital was going to be necessary.

"Aunt Esme, Edward's arm is still bleeding really bad." Jasper said from the doorway, with Edward on his hip, with one of his hand balancing Edward there, and his other hand holding a blood soaked bath towel over the cut.

Carlisle looked at Esme.

"She really needs to go to the hospital as well. I should go ahead and take them." Carlisle said.

The mention of Carlisle taking them to the hospital and not both Esme and Carlisle, caused both children to start freaking out. Alice put her hands behind her and grabbed a hold of Esme's shirt with a death grip. Edward started crying, and mumbling something about wanting his mama.

"Jasper, you and Rosalie are in charge here. Order pizza for supper," Esme said as Carlisle handed him some cash, "and tell Rosalie to do Bella's bedtime routine if we are not back in time. Once Jacob eats, he is to shower, brush his teeth, and go to his room. He is to stay there. Emmet is to leave here at 8:00. If you need anything, call our cell phones." Esme said, pushing Alice off her lap then threading her arm around the tiny girl's waist.

Carlisle, already over by Jasper, took Edward from him, and glanced at Esme.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Two hours later, Carlisle was sitting beside his son on a stool, while Edward was on the gurney pouting. To Carlisle, it felt as if they had been in the hospital forever. He had worked twenty hour shifts that had not felt nearly this long.

But, with Alice and Edward both wanting Esme, and neither of them wanting him, he had felt utterly useless. Even though he knew that the "mother" was famous worldwide for providing comfort when a child was hurt or ill or sad, the doctor in him was screaming to take action, to help both children as he would anyone else's child. But, alas, it was not to be so.

Once they had actually gotten to the hospital, Esme had tried to stay with both children, as they were both in tears, one with a silent, frightened look in her eyes, and the other vocally screaming for his mother's attention.

There was a problem though. As much as Carlisle would have loved to hand over his screaming eight year to his wife so that Edward could be happy, every time that he went close to Alice, she would whimper, and fall into Esme, grasping Esme's shirt in her hands and twisting it around her fists.

Not wanting to cause anymore distress to her, Carlisle silently told Esme that he would deal with Edward; because, whether Edward liked it or not, he was the only child of the two that would be able to handle either adult at the previous moment.

Then had come the hard part; although Carlisle worked in the hospital, he was not allowed to treat his own children, even if he had been on duty.

But, for this small fact, Carlisle was grateful.

As soon as his colleague, Dr. Marra Bangal came in with everything she would need to stitch up the three inch bleeding laceration on Edward's forearm, Edward had nearly come unglued, jumping off the gurney, the towel still firmly wrapped around his arm, and started running towards the door.

At this point, Carlisle had had enough. Dealing with the frustrations of everything that had had happened that day, he knew that if he didn't gain some control over this situation he was going to end up on the fifth floor of the hospital: the psych ward.

Taking four long strides, he had matched his youngest son's sprint, picked him up, careful of his injured arm; Edward was having none of that. He started kicking, and managed to kick Carlisle in the shin. Nearly dropping his son, Carlisle stopped and smacked the back of Edward's right leg, where leg met bottom, only once, so that Edward would stop trying to kick his father and wriggle out of his arms.

"Stop, Son."

That was what this day had come too. Carlisle hated dolling out those sometimes mandatory smacks to his children, but knew that if he didn't, his stubborn son would continue to behave like a wild orangutan. This did not bode well for Carlisle, especially in his place of work.

Edward had settled though, and when Carlisle had placed him back on the gurney, he had looked up at his father with a pout and a few stray tears.

Yes, that smack had worked. Carlisle could no longer stand those tears though, and leaned down to kiss his son on the forehead, and wiped a few stray tears away with his thumb. He knew that the smack had barely been felt, but it was the idea of the smack in general that had hurt Edward's feelings.

Soon, Dr. Bangal pulled out a syringe to inject a numbing medication into Edward's arm so that she could work on it. This time, after taking a tissue from the shelf beside the gurney to wash his son's tears away, Carlisle held his son, because he knew, given the slightest chance, Edward might try to escape again. And, honestly, Carlisle was not in the mood for such behavior. Dr. Bangal sent Carlisle a comforting smile, knowing full well that the doctor had obviously had a very taxing day. Especially since he had only gotten off work a couple hours prior to this visit.

That was how, sixteen stitches and many more tears later, Carlisle and Edward were still sitting in the same spot.

Edward was now pouting mercilessly, trying to get Carlisle to go get his mother. Carlisle, however, was to the point of not listening.

He knew from Dr. Bangal, that Alice was much better now, having been given drugs to calm her down, anti-inflammatory drugs to decrease any swelling of her airways, and apparently, Alice had asked for a hot shower to help open up her airways. She would likely sleep through the night once they got home, and well into the morning, though Carlisle knew that his wife would be up and down all night to check on both children. It seemed that the anxiety of fighting had caused the asthma attack to worsen, which Carlisle had expected to begin with, but also had to do with a minor case of bronchitis that the child had contracted. They would soon be able to go home now that the situation was under control. Once they got home, he would have to hook up the humidifier in Alice's room and make sure that she drank plenty of fluids. Hopefully, in a few days she would feel a lot better.

He felt sure that his wife was also ready for this day to end. He was positive that they had never had a day filled with so much excitement: first the Rosalie incident, then the fight and trip to the hospital.

Within the next thirty minutes, after countless, "Please go get Mama" 's, Carlisle watched as his wife walked into the area he was sitting with Edward.

To put it simply, his wife looked horrible. Her appearance, one normally clean cut and perky, was not as it usually was. Dark circles had developed under her eyes, she had blood from Edward's cut on her shirt, as well as water, which he assumed was from the shower that Alice had asked to take. Her hair was in a pony tail, something she normally did not do when she was in public, and her body screamed exhaustion.

Carlisle suddenly realized that he was not the only one that had been affected by both children wanting Esme to be with them in the hospital. His wife had had to make a painful decision by having to choose one over the other.

Carlisle silently chastised himself for being so thoughtless.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Carlisle asked, standing up and opening his arms to his wife.

"Yes." She said as she placed her face into his chest.

She looked up at her husband, "We will talk more when we get home. First we need to get both kids something to eat on our way home, and though I don't approve of it as a meal, we should just go through a drive-thru somewhere. The kids at home ate pizza anyways, so it isn't as if we made them eat healthy either. Besides, it will be late enough when we get home as it is."

Carlisle looked at his wife astounded. He honestly wondered how she did it sometimes.

Esme quickly looked around her husband when she heard a faint, "Mama."

She let go of Carlisle, patting his side as she did so, and went to Edward. Esme embraced her son in her arms.

While she did this, she listened to Edward quietly whine and fuss about his father.

"Mama, he spanked me!" Edward said with a low wail followed by tears. Esme rolled her eyes and smirked at Carlisle, knowing full well that her husband had done no more than smack their son lightly, and must have done something major to deserve it on a good day, let alone when he was hurt. He was too much of a softy for much more than that. Even to have done that, he would have had to have been at the end of his patience. Which, honestly, did not surprise Esme. She was ready for the day to be over as well.

* * *

At nearly midnight, Esme and Carlisle finally had everyone in bed and asleep.

Carlisle still felt useless, as neither Alice nor Edward had wanted him around when they arrived at home either. The other kids were all asleep, except for Rosalie, who never slept when she was alone with Bella. Despite her stubbornness, sometimes selfish behavior, she would one day be an excellent mother to her own children. Esme and Carlisle both just hoped that it was far away in the future.

Carlisle was lying in bed, just having come from the shower, and was waiting on his wife. Esme was checking on all the kids, and placing the extra baby monitors that they had acquired over the years in Alice and Edward's rooms. She always did this when one of the kids was sick, so that if they needed her during the night, she would automatically know it.

The door to their bedroom opened, and Carlisle looked up to watch his wife come in.

To his surprise, she shut the door, and locked it. His eyebrows, as well as another part of his person, rose expectantly and without assistance.

"What do we owe this pleasure, Mrs. Cullen?" He asked. Esme walked over to the bed, dropping her robe on the floor as she did so. Surprisingly, there was nothing underneath.

"You little minx." Carlisle growled, and held Esme hand as she climbed on top of him.

"Carlisle, this day has been awful. Tomorrow really doesn't promise to be any better, as we have to have several very serious conversations with our kids. But, right now, I want to but that fact in the back of my mind. I need you. Carlisle, I need you." Esme said, snaking her hand down his chest, his stomach, then to his leg.

Those were the words that Carlisle had been waiting to hear all day. Of course, they were not in the context he had expected to hear them, but the meaning was there. This left Carlisle, fatigued from the days hardships, slightly excited.

"Sweetie, you know that I am always here for you." He said.

Carlisle started to flip his wife over, so that she would be on the bottom, but she stopped him with a single hand gesture.

She backed down the bed, taking his pajama pants with her and then threw the pants into a heap on the floor.

* * *

WARNING

* * *

At this moment, Esme pounced on her husband, knowing that he would know that she wanted this act to happen quick and rough.

It was one way that she was able to show passion towards her husband, and still get the frustrations and stress from the day out of her system.

Esme quickly settled herself on top of Carlisle, knowing that as soon as she did so, her husband would take action.

They had been in this situation before, both wanting, no, needing, this rough encounter to cause a climax higher than any they usually met.

Just as Esme knew he would, Carlisle immediately flipped his wife over on her back, raised her right leg to sit on his left shoulder, and thrust into her continuously, over and over, as hard as he thought he could without causing her pain.

Esme, on the other hand had other thoughts.

"Harder, Carlisle!" She groaned, knowing that he was holding back, and wanting none of that. She wanted her husband to also find a release in his frustrations through this glorious sexual encounter.

Continuing this position for a good fifteen minutes, Esme could not believe her luck. Her husband had yet to come.

"Freeze!" She said, knowing that he would do so immediately. She took her leg off of his shoulder, and wrapped them around his waist.

"Stand up, Dr. Cullen." She commanded, then watched in delight as he did so.

He stood up, then walked with her wrapped around him to the nearest clear section of wall, and placed her against it, thrusting in and out of her while she simultaneously bucked back.

"Ahhhhh! Carlisle!" She screamed in delight as she climaxed, sending Carlisle into his own overpowering loss of control.

Quickly, Carlisle twisted his wife around, and placed his back to the wall. He slowly slid down it, Esme still attached to him.

At this point they were sitting, he on the floor, she on his lap, both panting lightly and covered in sweet, sticky sweat.

* * *

END

* * *

Esme laid her head on Carlisle's shoulder, half asleep.

"Love, that was exactly what they doctor ordered." She mumbled, with a small smirk on her face.

"Yes, I believe it was." He replied with a slight laugh.

"You know that we are going to be grounding at least three children tomorrow. I also have to talk to Rosalie about what happened today." Esme said, comfortably in the position she was in, feeling fully protected by her husband.

"I need to talk to Jasper and Emmett as well. I believe that they both need a bit of fatherly guidance after today. I was too quick to place blame." Carlisle said.

"As was I, Dear. As was I. That does not excuse Miss Rosalie from disobeying me, though. She knew not ask for your credit card.

"What do you think scared Alice so bad today?"

"I have no idea, Hon. But, in time, I am sure that we will find out. We need to give her that. Besides, she, Edward, and Jacob will have plenty of time to think in the upcoming weeks. Although we do not know what happened, I can only guess with the tampons that were all over the living room that it started with the two boys. Alice should not have reacted as she did, but they should not have been acting as they were either." Esme told him. He nodded in response

"Let's worry about all of this tomorrow, Sweetheart. We are both exhausted, and a nice rest will do us both good. You realize that someone will be up at the crack of dawn needing something. And, the troops are all yours tomorrow until I get home." Carlisle said with a slight laugh.

"I think that I would like to be Dr. Cullen tomorrow." Esme said with a sigh.

"Never." He laughed.

"Oh well. I will get their stories tomorrow while you are at work, and once you get home, we will decide their punishment." Esme whispered, very nearly asleep.

"Of course, Mrs. Cullen. Now, the doctor is ordering clothing and rest for you. Clothing, because you never know which miscreant is going to bombard our bed in the wee hours before morning, and sleep, because you are nearly about fall asleep in my lap." Carlisle said.

Soon, dressed, door unlocked, and in bed, the couple fell asleep in each other's arms, knowing that the next day had the extreme possibility of giving the day they had just had a run for its money.


	10. Temper Tantrums and Tears

**A/N: Okay guys, before you start fussing, I know that it has been a while since I have updated. Well, I can only say one thing: I am sorry. Life. But, I have this chapter up and ready for the go! I hope that you enjoy it and leave me some feedback. I don't know what people think if there is no feedback given!**

**Alrighty! Here it goes! I will try to have another chapter up sooner this time!**

*****

*  
Temper Tantrums and Tears

Alice knew that she was going to get a major lecture when she finally decided to go downstairs the next morning. Which, in all honesty, was precisely why she was still lying in her bed regardless of the fact that she was kind of hungry and knew that she had medicine that needed to be taken.

Alice realized that she didn't have a choice in the matter, however, when, not five minutes later, Esme came walking into her room.

"Come on Alice, there is a lot to take care of today. It is ten o'clock, which is later than I would normally allow you to sleep, but you were quite ill last night. Since you are up now, we can discuss a few things over brunch and then you can lie down for a nap afterwards." Esme told the child in front of her. Alice simply looked down at her hands and tried to stifle a sniffle that was threatening sneak its way out.

"I'm too old for naps," was the only reply that Alice could come up with.

"Not when you are sick. And, before you say that you are not sick, you had a very bad asthma attack last night. We have plenty to discuss without adding anything else to the list, so please, Alice, do as you are told," Esme said, her eyes held a sternness that Alice had not yet seen. But, there was something else there. Something that Alice had never really witnessed.

Could it, perhaps, be concern?

"Yes ma'am,' Alice whispered, looking down at her hands.

Esme looked at the girl in front of her. She knew that Alice was confused. And hurt. What had she been through growing up with a mother like hers?

Esme walked over to Alice and knelt in front of her, taking her shaking hands in her larger, soft, warm, dainty hands, and grasping them slightly.

"Alice, I know that you are confused and don't really know what to expect, but I promise you that Carlisle and I are not harsh people. You have to be chastised for what you did yesterday. However, so do the boys. I am going to talk to each of you today. Normally, that would not be your business, but I realize that since you are new to our household, you need to know that we, being Carlisle and I, are going to treat you exactly the same way that we treat our own children. While you are here, you are our child. Do you understand?" Esme asked Alice.

"Yes, ma'am. I understand." Alice whispered.

"Okay, Alice. It is ten. How about you go take a shower, brush your teeth, and then come downstairs into the kitchen. Everyone else has eaten breakfast and are in their respective rooms. I am going to go speak with Edward while you shower, and then you and I are going to talk while you eat."

"Okay. "

"I want you to leave the bathroom door unlocked just in case. No one will come in there. I want the door to remain unlocked in case something happens."

Alice nodded, stood up, and then went into her closet to get something to wear after her shower.

"I'll see you downstairs in a little bit, Alice." Esme told her and then walked out the door.

Alice sighed. She should have known that this day was not going to go her way.

Edward was mad. His arm was hurting and it was all stupid Alice's fault.

And, his daddy had smacked him last night.

Also, Edward knew that, since part of everything that had happened the night before was his fault, that that smack might not be the only one he got.

It really wasn't fair though. His mama made him come back to his room when he had finished eating breakfast because he had 'acted indecent for a child half his age and should not let his brother talk him into doing things that he knew were wrong'.

He didn't understand what was going on. He was supposed to have his mama's undivided attention when he was sick. Him. But, last night, Alice had taken it away from him.

Alice wasn't even his sister! It wasn't fair!

He wouldn't even talk to his daddy when he got home. He had decided that already.

And his mama…she was supposed to…

"Edward, honey, you and I need to have a very serious discussion." Esme said from the door way.

Esme had walked into Edward's room and knew right away that he was working himself into a right state. That child showed his emotions on his sleeve like no one she had ever had met.

"I don't wanna talk. I wanna go downstairs." Edward whined.

"Well, young man, we are going to talk, and you are not going downstairs. Do not think that your father and I don't know what has been going on in our own house." Esme told him sternly, sitting down beside him as she did.

"I don't wanna talk about Daddy! He hit me! And I don't wanna talk about stupid Alice! All this is her fault! I hate her!" Edward told his mother vehemently.

Esme looked at her youngest son, her eyebrows raised. She reached over towards him, careful of his injured arm, turned him gently to his side, and then smacked his behind.

Edward yelped and tried to rub his now injured posterior. Esme wouldn't allow it though. She grab his arm with one hand and placed her other hand gently under his chin to make him look at her.

"You, young man, have crossed all lines. I know that you are injured, and I know that your feelings are hurt. However, you are old enough to know what your father and I expect of you. Right now, you may get up and sit in your time-out corner until I come and get you."

"But…but, Mama!" Edward wailed as tears trailed down his cherub cheeks. He hated the time out corner even more than getting smacked. He hated sitting still that long.

"No. Let's go. I have to fix something for Alice to eat and you have time out time." Esme told him as she stood up.

Each of her children had their own designated time out spot, as there were times when they all needed them. And, in Esme and Carlisle both knew that there was no punishment in being sent to a room that had all of their toys, games, and electronics in it.

Edward's time out spot was in the bottom step of the stairs which could be seen from the kitchen and the living room, as well as from the laundry room.

"No!" Edward yelled at his mother. Esme stared down at him. She had no idea what had gotten into her children, but she knew that she was fixing to find out. At that exact moment, however, she didn't reall have time to argue with her wayward eight year old. She picked him up and put him on her hip.

If he wouldn't listen to her, then she would just make him do as she pleased.

Something that rarely happened to Esme was happening right then.

Esme Cullen was losing her patience.

"Please put me down, Mama!" Edward cried. He did not, under any circumstances, want anyone to see him being _carried_ to his time out. If she was going to make him be in time out, he was going to walk there like a man.

Esme sighed and looked at her baby boy.

"Are you going to act right and do as I have asked?" she asked him.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said and nodded at the same time, then rubbed his tear stained cheeks and runny nose against his mama's shirt.

Esme sighed. Oh how she loved her children, but they did tend to try her patience at times.

But, when her eight year old, cherub cheeked, blue eyed child unconsciously sought out her comfort even when she was chastising him…well, it made it worth it.

"Okay. Go straight to your corner. I have to talk to Alice while you are in time out." Esme told him while setting him down carefully on the floor.

Esme looked at her watch.

10:34.

It was going to be a very long day.

Carlisle dreaded the moment that he was going to have to go home, which, in all actuality, was very abnormal for him.

It wasn't that he dreaded home in general. It wasn't that he knew that his wife was going to be there, and very possibly be at the end of her rope, or that his kids would be sullen and whiny after a day of lectures from their mother.

It was because he knew that tonight he and his beautiful wife were going to have to punish their children: Rosalie for disobeying her mother and asking her father for his credit card; Jacob and Edward for their horrid behavior towards Alice; and, finally, Alice for her actions towards Edward.

He hated the fact that he was going to have to sit beside his wife and dole out punishments; especially, after the night they had had previously. He had felt so unwanted and then wanted at the same time. His wife wanted him, but his children wanted nothing to do with him.

He understood it, really. It was just that when they were hurt, they wanted Esme. It didn't matter that daddy was a doctor. No one held a candle compared to their beloved mother. Even Rosalie, at sixteen, wanted her mama to cuddle her when she felt ill. Daddy better not come anywhere near her when she felt sick.

Carlisle knew that it wasn't him. He had been a doctor long enough to know that it was almost every family that this occurred in.

Every sick child that came through the emergency room wanted their mamas. The only ones that usually wanted their daddies were the ones whose mothers were abusive, dead, or lacked any motherly instincts. Those were always easy to pick out.

Carlisle finally got home and walked in the door. The house smelled heavenly of roast, carrots, mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls. Sometimes he honestly wondered where his wife found the time.

He set his keys in the basket beside the door, took off his lab coat and hung it on the coat rack, and then loosened his tie. It was only inside his front door did he completely change from doctor to husband and dad.

He looked up and saw Edward sitting at the base of the stairs.

Edwards time out spot.

He peaked into the living room and, sure enough, Jacob was in his spot. Carlisle took several steps towards the kitchen and was greeted with yet another child in a timeout spot.

Alice. This was a new time out spot. Right under the kitchen window, sitting on a bench that was facing the wall. It was low enough, and Alice was tiny enough, that she could not see out of the kitchen window.

The child looked just like his two sons did: Livid.

"Hey, Honey." Esme said from in front of the stove, "Would you mind calling Rosalie down here so that she can set the table?"

"Not at all." Carlisle replied picking up his tiny daughter, Bella, who had been coloring at the table.

Carlisle put Bella on his hip and went towards the stairs. Edward scowled at this. He loved Bella, but he didn't always like to share with her.

Carlisle walked up the stairs, patting Edward on the head as he did so, and then went towards Rosalie's room.

Carlisle knew that tonight was going to be hectic and chaotic. He hoped that the next day would prove to be much simpler.

"Rosalie, your mother wants you to come down and set the table." Carlisle said as he stuck his head into her already opened door.

Rosalie looked up from her desk where she had been studying for the past hour. When she had gotten home from school all the little kids minus Bella were in trouble from the day before. Rosalie knew that she was going to have to eventually talk to her mom about what had happened the day before and she was probably going to get into trouble for taking her dad's credit card; however, her mom and dad were both caught up with the incident from the night before, as they should be.

Rosalie didn't want to give her mother any more reason to be upset with her.

"Sure, Dad. I am coming." Rosalie replied, standing up.

Carlisle smiled. Yes, he knew that his daughter was being extra obedient at the moment because she knew that her parents were at the end of their rope.

"Good Girl." Carlisle said, leaning down and kissing his eldest daughter's forehead as she walked by.

Carlisle and Esme sat on one side of the recently cleared dining room table while the three miscreants sat on the other side.

Alice sat on one end of the table. She had pulled her chair as far over to the very edge of the table so that she would not have to sit right beside Edward, who was in the middle. He had actually pushed his chair closer to Jacob's so that he would not have to be right beside Alice.

Carlisle and Esme simply sat and stared at the three children for a moment.

Jacob was staring out the window since he was on that side of the room.

Edward was looking at his Mama, trying to decide if he would get out of trouble if he started crying and said that his arm was really hurting. Or, if he could do the same thing and get Alice in even more trouble than she already was.

Alice, on the other hand, was looking down at her hands which were positioned delicately in her lap. She really didn't know what to think or do, as she had never really been in this position. Sure, she had gotten a lecture from Esme earlier about how one treated the members of their family. What Esme didn't seem to understand was that Alice wasn't part of the family. She was her own person. Currently, she was her own family. No, it wasn't fair, but not much in life was. Sure, she had to obey these two adults sitting in front of her, but did they really think that she was part of their family? Was it fair for them to like her, to show her what a real family was, if it was going to be yanked all away from her the minute that her mother decided that she had had enough of traveling, and was ready to come back? Alice didn't really think that it was fair of them at all.

"The first thing that all three of you should know and realize," Carlisle started, "Is that your mother and I are very disappointed in the way that you chose to act last night. One of the rules in this family is that there is never, under any circumstances, a reason to physically fight one another. Nor is there ever a reason to tease a member of this family about anything."

"She ain't a member of our family." Edward mumbled under his breath. Jacob looked at his little brother with wide eyes. The little brat didn't know when to shut the hell up.

"Edward Mason Cullen, I think that both your mother and I have both heard enough of your lip. The fact that you could be so heartless of another astounds me. I do not care that you are eight years old. You never treat any human being with the carelessness and hostility that you have treated Alice with since the day that she moved in with us. Never."

"Fine. But I'm not the one that said she could live here."

Carlisle looked at his son. Esme did the same. Both of them were shocked at the way he was acting.

"Son, do we need to go have a discussion in my office?" Carlisle asked the defiant child. He knew the eight year old was fixing to be in a mood that would not allow him to listen to anyone or anything.

"No. I am not going to your stupid office. I don't understand why I am in trouble when she hurt me! That ain't fair!" Edward ended his mini rant with a full blown yell. He stood up and stared at his parents rebelliously.

"Edward. Go into my office. Right now." Carlisle told him.

Edward looked at his father. He knew what a discussion in his father's office was like. It was not like this was his first rodeo, but he sure hadn't been sent to his office in a while.

"Fine! I don't wanna be out here anyways! Especially if I gotta sit by HER!" Edward screamed at his parents, then went running towards the kitchen door.

Esme sighed and then looked at the other two children. They were wide eyed. Jacob's mouth was hanging open. He was in disbelief. His little brother was an idiot!

Alice, on the other hand, was nearly in tears. She did not understand why Edward could hate her so terribly much.

"Do either of you want have any objections to being here?" Esme asked them. Both of them shook their heads in the negative.

They were not stupid. There was no way that they wanted to bring any more punishment down on them.

"Okay. I have talked with both of you today, and I want you to know that we are both extremely disappointed in the actions that you have each commited against one another. Regardless of how long Alice is here she is part of our family. Jacob, I know that you like to play jokes on people, but you have to realize that sometimes your jokes cause more harm than good. Yesterday was one of those days. Alice has not been here very long, and she does not know you well enough to know that you were joking. For your actions, you are grounded for a week. That means no electronics, no football, nothing. You may help me or your father, you will have extra chores and you will be showered and in bed by eight each night. Is this understood?" Esme asked her son.

"Yes, ma'am. And, Alice, I really am sorry about yesterday. We shouldn't have done that to ya." Jacob said in a low voice.

"It's alright." Alice responded equally low, looking down at her hands again.

"Alice, you are also grounded for one week. Carlisle and I realize that you did not mean to hurt Edward and that the boys started it. However, if something like that happens in our household, you are to come and get one of us. If we are not here and Rosalie is in charge, then you tell her. You will not fight in this house. Do you understand?" Esme paused and waited for an answer.

"Yes'm." Alice whispered, silent tears falling down her cheeks.

"Alice, dear, we want you to feel like this is your home because, while you live here, it is. You will be treated just like our own children. Alice, we want to get to know you, to love you. We realize that you are having a hard time, but that will change. You are grounded for the next week with the same stipulations as Jacob. After last night, you are going to need the rest, so going to bed early will be a good thing. There will be a few chores that Esme will give you, and you will not be allowed to use any electronics. You may e-mail your mother, but only on the computer in the family room with mine or Esme's permission." Carlisle told her gently. She nodded, but did not look up.

"Jacob, dear, would you mind going to your room so that your father and I may talk to Alice. You can start getting ready for bed. We will be up in a little while to say good night." Esme told her eldest son.

Jacob nodded and stood up. He went around the table and stopped beside his parents.

"Ma, Dad, I really am sorry. I'm not just saying that because you expect it of me, I really am."

"We know, honey. It is all over now. You are forgiven." Esme said, standing up and kissing her son.

Jacob walked out of the room and went to his room while Esme and Carlisle turned back towards Alice.

"Alice do you have any questions about anything? Do you understand why we are getting on to you about last night?" Carlisle asked the tearful girl.

"Yes, sir." Alice said quietly.

"Alice, why are you upset?" Esme asked her, getting up and moving to the other side of the table to sit beside Alice.

"I'm okay. I…um…I just…I am not really used to everything here. I will get used to it though. I promise." Alice whispered.

"Alice, you take all the time that you need. But Carlisle and I, we are always going to be here when you need us. If you step out of line, you can expect us to admonish you for it. You can always expect us to follow through with the things that we promise. Do you understand?" Esme asked the small, teenage girl.

"I know. Can I go to my room now? I promise that if I need anything that I will ask. I will also put all my electronics into a bag and set it outside my door for you." Alice said.

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other. They had not told her that that was one of the stipulations of being grounded in their household because the other kids already knew it and they were going to tell her before they sent her to bed.

"Okay, Alice. Go on, dear. I will bring your medicine up to you in a bit, and then you may read or lie in bed. Which either you prefer. " Esme told her. Alice nodded then got up to go to her room. She was tired. It really had been a long day.

Esme sighed as she and Carlisle sat in the dining room.

"You know that we still have Edward to deal with." Esme said sadly.

"I know. We can't let this slide, Esme. His behavior…"

"Was unacceptable. He knows how to behave, and the things he said were vile. I had no idea that our son, at eight years old, could be so hurtful." Esme released a resounding sigh and tried to will back tears.

"I had to smack him once today. I believe that your discussion is going to be more of the same?" Esme asked Carlisle.

This time it was his turn to sigh.

"We don't really have much of a choice do we? I hate having to do that to any of them, but if that is what it takes to make him behave and step back into line…" Carlisle said.

"I know. I agree with you. I think this time, however, we need to present a front. We will both go in there. If he sees that we are both disappointed in his behavior, he may very well correct it much faster."

"Yes. Oh, Esme, I hope that these things start evening themselves out soon. I hate that we always have to be the bad guys."

Esme laughed and then climbed on her husband's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Oh, dear Carlisle, you know that that is why we had children!" She laughed and then placed her lips on his.

Carlisle smiled up at her when she withdrew and laughed silently.

"Oh course, my dear. Come on. Let's go ahead and get this over with. Then we can put all the kids minus Rosalie to bed. We still have to talk to her. Then, we can go to bed!" Carlisle said.

Together they walked up the stairs towards Carlisle's office.

Once they got there, Carlisle opened the door…

…and what Carlisle and Esme saw did not make them happy….

**A/N: sorry for the cliffie~**


	11. Trashing and Throwing

**AN: Hey guys...I know that most of you have read this chapter already...I had to fix the spacing. However, I did not want to give you false hopes because you thought that a new chapter had been posted...sooooo, right after I repost this chapter, I am going to post the next one, which I just finished...=)**

Eight year old Edward Cullen was many things: pianist, baseball player, son, brother… Yes, He was many things. But, he was also a dead kid now. He had been angry when he came into his father's office. Because he was so angry, he hadn't really been in his right mind. How could he have been? Otherwise he wouldn't have completely trashed his father's office. Edward had gone into the office and immediately swept everything off of Carlisle's desk. Papers, pens, pencils, books, and paper weights were lying all over the floor.

Next, Edward had gone to the book case. He wasn't quite stupid enough to get into the glass cabinet behind his Dad's desk that held his rare and expensive books. Instead he had gone to the book case with the medical journals in it and had started, one by one, throwing them onto the floor as far as he could get them.

Then Edward saw it.

It was an award that his father had gotten for Doctor of the Year the year that Bella had been born. He went over to the award and picked it up, looking at it. It was made of glass with gold and silver lettering on it. It was about a foot tall and had his father's name on it.

Edward lifted it over his head and was about to throw it on the floor when he felt it being snatched from his hands. Edward felt the bottom sink out of his world. He slowly turned around and looked to see what was behind him.

"You are such an idiot, Edward! It's bad enough that you have trashed Dad's office, but do you know what would happen if you broke this? He loves this thing!" Rosalie hissed at her little brother.

"Leave me alone, Rosalie!" Edward said through tear stained cheeks.

"No! You are already going to be in a ton of trouble for everything that has been going on and, not to mention, you had destroyed Dad's office. I am not going to let you do something that you are going to regret later because your eight year old mind doesn't realize that some things have permanent consequences that you can't undo!" Rosalie grabbed her brother, careful of his arm and pulled him towards her own body.

"Le'm go!" Edward cried out.

"No! You have to stop, Edward! Just stop! You can't always be the center of attention! It isn't fair and you know it! The universe doesn't revolve around you!' Rosalie said. Edward lashed out at his sister and hit her face with his good arm. Tears streaked down his face and snot was running down his nose. Rosalie kept her hold on him and sat on the floor, forcing him into her lap. She held her fighting little brother in her lap and wrapped her arms around him.

"Stop fighting me, Edward. Just stop…" Rosalie whispered into his ear.

Finally, the small boy's body just sunk into his sister's. He put his head back against her chest and simply cried. What had he done?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*TWILIGHT~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing that Carlisle and Esme noticed when they opened the door to Carlisle's office was the mess. Anger automatically infused into their minds. But then they heard the whimpers and soft whispers.

Esme turned towards her left and was shocked at what she seen. Rosalie was not always the most accommodating child they had. She didn't experience change well at all and could become fiercely jealous of her younger brothers and sister. She also had a quick temper on the best day.

That was why Esme was so surprised to see her daughter holding her little brother in her lap, rocking him back and forth while he cried endless tears. It didn't change the fact, however, that Edward had obviously destroyed Carlisle's office.

"I can't deal with this right now." Carlisle said, staring at the remains of his office. Had his son really done this? Had his son, who was his little right hand man all the time, really destroyed his office like this?

"Carlisle…" Esme started.

She knew that something was going on with Edward. She also knew that her husband, not used to dealing so much discipline within a short amount of time, was nearly at the end of his fuse. He didn't have to deal with the day to day transgressions that the kids all got into.

"Esme, look at my office. He is eight years old, not two. This is ridiculous." Carlisle said with disbelief.

"Carlisle. I will handle it. Clean up the office while I deal with him." Esme didn't give her husband time to reply, but went directly to her children. Rosalie looked up at her mom from the floor. She, at sixteen, understood a lot, but she didn't understand why everything was happening the way that it was with her family.

"Mama…" Rosalie whispered. Esme placed her hand on Rosalie's cheek and looked at the forming bruise.

She sighed.

"Give me Edward. Go put some ice on your cheek, sweetheart. I will come help you in a little bit." Esme said, leaning down and picking up her son.

Edward wrapped his arms around his Mama's neck and sobbed into her neck. Esme simply patted him on the back and started walking towards his room so that she could put him in his bed. Esme was nearly positive that she had never gone through days that were as long as the ones that she was previously having to live through.

~*~*~**~*~*~*~TWILIGHT~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Carlisle stared at his office. He wasn't angry anymore. He just wasn't used to his children acting this way and it irritated him. Or, maybe it was because he wasn't the one to normally deal with punishments because he was normally at work. How did Esme go through this every single day though? How did she punish their children when they misbehaved, snuggle with them when they were hurt, listen to them when they needed to talk, and then have dinner ready when he got home all while still having the energy to passionately make love to him at night? How was it even possible? Carlisle was a doctor and he still didn't understand how she had the energy to get out of the bed every morning.

"You know thinking too much is going to make it worse." Carlisle jumped at the sound of Esme's voice. "Sorry, Honey, but I can read you like an open book."

"How do you do it, Esme? How do you do it every single day? I would go insane. It's like they are looking for trouble."

"Carlisle, I do this every day because they are my babies. They don't look for trouble, but they are kids and therefore are going to find it. You have to keep your temper, even when they don't. You know this. So, why don't you tell me what is really bothering you?" Esme said, rubbing Carlisle's arm.

Carlisle sighed. He didn't really know what was wrong, except the last several days had been full of the kids misbehaving and being little terrors. Even with Carlisle working, he still was having to deal with everything at home, something he was not used to because, normally, everything ran smoother.

"I don't know, Esme. I guess it is because I am not used to our kids acting this way." Carlisle said. Esme laughed. Her husband was so naïve.

"Sweetheart, our kids are hellions. You have dealt with some misbehavior in the past, but not when they all act up at the same time. This is normal, Honey. They are brothers and sisters and they are going to fight and get into trouble. It isn't anything new, that I can promise you. Normally, I have it all sorted out before you come home and they have been punished. But, right now, they are just having a constant wave of bad choices. It will all blow over soon enough and things will get back to normal. Right now they are also trying to adjust to having someone new living with them. Not everything, dear Carlisle, is all sugar and gumdrops. Especially, with our kids." Carlisle stood there and stared at his wife, knowing that she was right. He sighed. Yes, he was just going to have to get over it.

"What about Alice?" "Alice has a lot of adjusting to do as well. And, those boys knew better than to treat her as they did. She has never lived in a big family. Her mother was probably not the best mother in the world. Alice has, unfortunately, not received the love that she should have. Victoria was never an overly loving person, but it seems that she could not even change for her daughter."

"Don't you think that it is selfish to show her what she will not always have?" Carlisle asked suddenly.

"No. I have a feeling that things will work out with her and Victoria, one way or another." Esme told Carlisle.

"Now, I have to go and make sure that Rosalie out ice on her cheek. I need to fix something for Jacob and Alice to eat. Bella is napping, as is Edward. You have to work the night shift, so why don't you go take a nap?" Carlisle stated at his wife with amazed wonder.

He was at his wits end, and his wife was still jumping back into her roles as if nothing had been unhinged. It truly amazed him. Esme rarely asked for anything, and it made Carlisle wonder. She freely gave up things so that her children could do as they wished…for the most part. She snuggled with them when they were hurt, talked to them when they were sad; she helped them with their homework and cooked their meals. Yes, his wife was indeed, one of the most amazing women ever.

"No, that is alright. I think that I will go talk to Edward and let you go make sure that Rosalie is okay. I think that Edward just needs a father son talk. I need to check out his arm anyways, and maybe it is partly our fault. We did just throw all of this at him. And, he is only eight." Carlisle said with sudden realization.

Esme smiled. She had had a feeling that her husband would realize that it was really him that their son needed. "Sounds like a plan, Love. Sounds like a plan."


	12. Apolagies and I Love You's

**AN: So, here is the next chapter! For those of you that read my Harry Potter story, I also posted a new chapter for it tonight. I know that it has been a while since I posted on this story, but I needed a break...and I will try to get the next chapter out sooner! ENJOY!**

Carlisle walked into his youngest son's room and stared at the small boy for a moment before fully entering the room.

Carlisle knew that he had, regrettably, lost his temper. While that did not make the ill deeds Edward had done go away, Carlisle knew that he was definitely going to have to talk to the child in a much softer tone.

The sight of tears falling down Edward's little cherub cheeks were nearly Carlisle's undoing.

"Daddy, I am sorry. I am sorry." Edward cried when he noticed that his father was walking into his room.

Carlisle went over to the bed and sat down on its' edge, then lightly ran his hand through his son's hair.

"You know what you did was wrong, don't you?" Carlisle asked him.

Edward looked down at his bed, pulling his knees up and wrapping his good arm around them so he could place his chin on top of them. Tears were falling so freely that they were soon running down the blonde haired child's arm.

"Yes, Daddy. I lost my temper. I didn't count like you told me that I needed to start doing." Edward sniffed out.

Carlisle sighed a bit. He remembered telling his son not too long ago to count before lost total control of his temper. That day Edward had been sent home from school with a note expressing the fact that he had gotten into a yelling match with a little boy named Mike.

"You know what, Buddy. This time I am going to let it pass because Daddy didn't count like he should have either." Carlisle said as he pushed himself over towards Edward and draped one arm over his back. Edward looked up at his dad a smiled a bit through his tears.

"Reallly?"

"Really. But mind you, son, only this time. Next time you may well find yourself over my knee. Understand?"

"Yes, sir. What about Mama? Is she angry with me too? I've been pretty bad this week." Edward ended his sentence with little more than a whisper as he ran his arm over his nose and eyes.

Carlisle leaned over to the nightstand, a place where Esme always made sure to leave tissues in every child's room except Bella's, and grabbed several of the white squares and handed them to his son.

"Thanks, Daddy." Edward leaned into his father, though making sure not to put any weight on the gauze covered laceration that was beginning to hurt like hell.

"Edward, is your arm hurting?" Carlisle asked, taking the arm into his hand and beginning to unwrap the gauze from it.

"A little bit."

"Well, it looks good. The incision is clean, there doesn't appear to be any infection. How about I give you some medicine, and then you can lie in bed for a while and take a nap. We might even be able to talk Mama into letting you come and sleep in the big bed and watch a little television." Carlisle said.

Edward peaked up at that. He knew that he was still in disgrace over the way he had been acting, but if he was going to be allowed to watch T.V., they must not be too mad at him.

"Okay. I'd like that." Edward said.

Carlisle smiled and leaned over to kiss his son on the top of his head. He picked the child up and together they walked downstairs to find Esme.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TWILIGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later, Esme was sitting in Alice's room watching her take her medication and eat a light meal before she fell back asleep. The poor girl had literally exhausted herself and could barely do anything.

"I am sorry about Edward." Alice whispered quietly, shame pinking her cheeks as she apologized to the woman that was slowly trying to find out every detail about her.

"I appreciate your apology, Alice. Though realize, Dear, you are not the only one to blame. Edward and Jacob are also at fault." Esme gently reminded her.

"Yes, ma'am. But, I know that most things are my fault. I tend to do things at the most inopportune times. I should have known better."

"No, Alice. Most things are not your fault. They are the fault of all parties involved. In this case, it was Edward, Jacob, and you. All equally. In this house, Alice, things are not always one person's fault. While Carlisle and I are the heads of this house, we both share that title equally. Just as Rosalie, Jacob, Edward, Bella, Jasper, and you are each equals in this house, with rules and discipline. However, age is always factored in. I would not, nor would Carlisle, discipline Bella the same way we discipline you or Rosalie. But, Sweetie, I just want you to realize that in this household, you are each equal. If you have any questions, or concerns, or if you just need to talk, then I am here. So is Carlisle. Do you understand?" Esme looked at Alice with patience and concern.

Alice didn't say anything, but Esme could tell that she was rolling everything that she had just been told in her head. She was thinking it over.

Alice sighed.

"Yes, Ma'am. I understand. I am kinda tired, can I lay back down?" Alice asked her quietly.

Esme sighed inwardly. She wanted so badly to break the wall that this child was building up. But, she also knew that it was going to be hard and it was going to take time.

"Of course. Let me take that tray."

Esme watched Alice sink down in her bed and almost instantly all asleep before she could even turn towards the door. Flicking the baby monitor by the bed back on, Esme headed out the door and towards the kitchen.

"Mama, she will get used to everything before long." Rosalie said from the kitchen table where she sat eating an apple smeared with peanut butter, a glass of milk with crushed ice close by.

Esme smiled. Rosalie had eaten that same exact snack nearly every day since she was three and it always brought fond memories to the forefront of Esme's mind. Even when they were fighting, Rosalie did not miss this mandatory snack, even if she did have to sit with her mother.

"I just hope that it is not too late." Esme said.

Rosalie laughed.

"Mama, No one can resist you and Daddy for long. Besides, all she wants is to be loved. I can see it in her eyes. Her eyes are painful." Rosalie said quietly, staring at her snack.

Esme put her fingers under Rosalie's chin and lifted her face until Esme could look in her eyes.

"You are a wonderful daughter. I love you very much."

Rosalie blushed, but smiled with genuine pleasure.

"Thanks, Mama. I love you, too."

"Did you put anything on that eye?" Esme said, smiling at her eldest child once more before patting her cheek and standing up.

She immediately went to the freezer and took out a back of frozen peas.

"Here, Baby, put these against your eye. Your brother got you good."

Rosalie snorted.

"Yea, if he wouldn't have been about to have some kinda attack I probably would have hit him back."

Esme's eyes grew large and her eyebrows reached up into her hairline.

Rosalie smiled.

"Mom, kidding. I would have tried very hard not to hit him. Even if he was being a brat." Rosalie laughed and then leaned over to hug her mother.

"I would hope not." Esme said.

Rosalie laughed again.

"I love you, Mom." She said, and hugged her Mom tightly, hoping that she could stay that way for a little longer.


End file.
